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IIGI1LAND   COUSINS 


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WILL  I  AAV     BLACK 


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I 


HIGHLAND    COUSINS 


h  novel 


BY 


WILLIAM  BLACK 

AUTHOR   OF 

"A    PRINCESS    OF   THULE"    "MACLEOD    OF   DARE  " 

"THE    HANDSOME    HUMES "    ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW    YORK 
HARPER    &    BROTHERS    PUBLISHERS 


1894 


WILLIAM  BLACK'S  NOVELS. 

LIBRARY 

EDITION. 

A  DAUGHTER  OF  HETH. 

STAND  FAST,  CRAIG-ROYSTON ! 

A  PRINCESS  OF  THULE. 

Illustrated. 

DONALD  ROSS  OF  HEIMRA. 

SUNRISE. 

GREEN   PASTURES  AND  PICCA- 

THAT BEAUTIFUL  WRETCH.     Il- 

DILLY 

lustrated. 

IN  FAR  LOCHABER. 

THE    MAGIC   INK,  AND   OTHER 

IN  SILK  ATTIRE. 

STORIES.     Illustrated. 

JUDITH   SHAKESPEARE.      Illus- 

THE STRANGE  ADVENTURES  OF 

trated  by  Abbey. 

A  HOUSE-BOAT.     Illustrated. 

KILMENY. 

THE  STRANGE  ADVENTURES  OF 

MACLEOD  OF  DARE.    Illustrated. 

A  PHAETON. 

MADCAP  VIOLET. 

THREE  FEATHERS. 

PRINCE  FORTUNATUS.  Ill'd. 

WHITE   HEATHER. 

SABINA   ZEMBRA. 

WHITE  WINGS.     Illustrated. 

SHANDON  BELLS.     Illustrated. 

YOLANDE.     Illustrated. 

12mo,  Cloth,  $1  25  per  volume. 

WOLFENBERG.—  THE  HANDSOME  HUMES. 

Illustrated.     12mo 

Cloth,  $1  50  each. 

Complete  Sets, 

26  vols.,  $30  00. 

Published  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  New  Yoke. 

j6®=  Any  of  the  above  works  will  be 

sent  by  mail,  pottage  prepaid,  to  any 

part  of  the  United  States,  Canada 

or  Mi  xico,  on  receipt  of  the  price. 

Copyright,  1894,  by  Harper  At  Brothkhh. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGR 

I.    CONVOY 1 

II.    A  POOR  STUDENT 10 

III.    SIGNALS  OP  DISTRESS 17 

rv.    ON  A  ROCK 24 

V.   THE   "firefly" 32 

VI.    THE   DAY  AFTER 41 

VII.    A  CEILIDH 48 

Vin.    BARBAROSSA 58 

IX.    PROBLEMS  AND  DREAMS 66 

X.    THE   SUN-GOD 74 

XI.    ' '  THE  WILD  TEARS  FALL  " 84 

XII.    IN  SORE  STRAITS    .      .      .      .* 93 

XIII.    OUT  OF   THE  DEEPS 101 

XIV.  A  VISITOR 110 

XV.  ENCOUNTERS 118 

XVI.    SCHEMES  AND  FORECASTS 127 

XVII.    A  PTARMIGAN  BROOCn 135 

XVIII.    A   LECTURE  AND  THEREAFTER '     .      .  143 

XIX.    COUNCILLOR  V.  STATION-MASTER 152 

XX.    AN   INTRUDER 161 

XXI.    A  RAID  ON   THE   SANCTUARY 169 

XXII.    AN  INFORMER 179 

XXIII.  AT   AN   OPEN   DOOR 188 

XXIV.  ON  THE  VERGE 199 

XXV.    PRINCE   BEELZEBUB 208 

XXVI.    LA  BELLE  DAME   SANS   MERCI 217 

XXVII.    DARK   DEALINGS ...  225 

XXVIII.    THE   RED  PARASOL 234 

XXIX.    A   HALF-HOLIDAY   AND   THEREAFTER 243 

XXX.    AN   ASSIGNATION 252 

XXXI.    SUNLIGHT   ABROAD ,  260 

XXXII.    THE  FOOL'S  REVENGE 268 

XXXIII.  PERPLEXITIES           277 

XXXIV.  A  RING -     .      .       .      .  286 

XXXV.    ON   A   SUMMER'S   EVENING 294 


IV  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXXVI.   IN  THE   SOUND   OF  MULL 303 

XXXVII.    A  PUBLIC   SACRIFICE 312 

XXXVIII.    BEST   MAN  AND  BRIDEGROOM 321 

XXXIX.    FOREBODINGS 331 

XL.    IN  PERIL 340 

XLI.    HUSBAND,  WIFE,  AND   FRIEND 349 

XLII.    THE  PLEADING  DIET 356 

XLIII.    A  BREAKING   AND   ENTERING 364 

XLTV.    ASPHODELS  AND  GOWANS 373 

XLV.    ON  THE  EVE 380 

XLVI.   ARRAIGNED 889 

XLVII.    DAY  AND  NIGHT 396 

XLVIII.    PAULINE 404 

XLIX.    A  SUMMONS 414 

L.    FAREWELL 422 

LI.    "AT  EACH  REMOVE" 432 

LII.    A  SAIL 440 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  'LET  ME  GO  !'  SHE  EXCLAIMED,  IN  A  PANTING,  HALF-CHOKED 

VOICE  THAT  THRILLED  THOSE  'WHO  heard"    ....  Frontispiece 

"  A    SMALL    AND    BLACK    PROCESSION   WAS  STRIVING   HARD  TO 

MAKE    HEADWAY    AGAINST    A    BLINDING    GALE  "      .       .       .       Facing  page       2 

"  FROM  THE  DECK  OF  THE  SHIP  THE  ROCKETS  WENT  SCREAM- 
ING   INTO    THE    NIGHT  " "  "30 

"AT   LAST    ALL    THE    PASSENGERS    HAD    BEEN    RESCUED    FROM 

THEIR   PERILOUS    POSITION  " "  "38 

"  '  WHO  ARE    YOU  ? AND  WHAT  ARE   YOU  ?'   HE    DEMANDED  "  "  "         62 

"'THERE    IS    THE    FIRST    WILD -FLOWER    I    HAVE    SEEN    THIS 

YEAR'" "  "72 

"HE   CAUGHT  AT  THE  NEAREST  OBJECT  TO  STEADY    HIMSELF"  "  "         98 

"  'HE  LIVES! — UNCLE,  HE  LIVES  ! THERE  IS  HOPE  FOR  US  !'  "  "  "      108 

"'DO     YOU    REMEMBER    THE     OLD     SAYING,    "YOU     ARE     TOO 

MERRY,  YOU'LL    HAVE    TO    MARRY  "?' " "  "      132 

"THE  LUCKLESS   SHOEMAKER   WAS    CONDUCTED    TO   THE   DOOR 

AND    EJECTED    INTO    THE    NIGHT " "  "      148 

"'FIVE  MINUTES  GONE  OUT  OF  THE  TEN,'  SAID  THE  STATION- 
MASTER"       "  "156 

"aw,  it's  a  fine  thing  to  come  among  friends"  .  .  "  "  184 
"the  school-master  had  hurled  himself  upon  him  and 

seized  him  by  the  throat  " "  "  206 

"the  next  moment  she  had  fled  into  the  outer  air "  "  "  214 
"  '  but  there's  the  rich  old  gentleman  you  have  the 

chance  of '" "  "  232 

"'it  would  be   a   strange   thing   if   i   was  thinking 

of  any  one  like  that'" "  "  258 

"'and  would  you  be  sorry  too,  barbara  ?"'  .     ...  "  "  266 

"where  she  was  alone" "  "  292 

" '  to  run  her  over  to  mull  there  '  " "  "  300 

"  jess  was  the  only  one  who  hung  back  ;  she  said  she 

would  rather  remain  in  the  boat" "  "  324 


VI  ILLUSTRATIONS 

"'SO    THAT    I    CAN    PKACTISE    MOUNTING    AND    DISMOUNTING. 

man,  it's  grand  exercise  ! — just  famous'"     .     .     .  Facing  page  336 

"'CHECK  HIM,  SIR — CHECK   HIM;     OR  HE'i.L  BE  BRINGING    ON 

THE    COUGH    AGAIN  '  " "  "         378 

';  '  BUT  i'll  go  away  now,  and  i'll  not  COME  BACK  '"  .   "   "   384 

"  THERE    WAS    HARDLY    ANY    ONE    ABOUT     TO    WITNESS    THEIR 

LAST    AND    MUTE    FAREWELL  " "  "        402 

"THERE    WAS    NOT    MUCH    FOR    HIM    TO    DO    BEYOND    VISITING 

TWO  GRAVES " "  "         426 

"  '  JESS,   THAT'S    MR.    CAIRD  !     HE    DID    NOT    SAY    HE    WAS    TO 

BE    HERE    SO    SOON'" "  "         442 


HIGHLAND    COUSINS 


CHAPTER  I 
A     CONVOY 


Away  out  at  the  edge  of  the  world,  facing  the  wild  Atlan- 
tic seas,  a  small  and  black  procession  was  striving  hard  to 
make  headway  against  a  blinding  gale  of  rain  and  sleet.  First 
came  a  horse  and  cart,  and  in  the  cart  was  a  young  woman, 
seated  on  a  sack  of  straw,  and  wrapped  up  in  a  thick  blue- 
green  tartan  shawl  that  in  a  measure  protected  her  from  the 
driving  gusts  ;  then  followed  a  straggling  company  of  middle- 
aged  men,  their  figures  pitched  forward  against  the  wind, 
their  teeth  clinched,  the  salt  spin-drift  dripping  from  shaggy 
eyebrows  and  beard,  while  now  and  again  the  tail  end  of  a 
plaid,  escaping  from  the  clutch  of  frozen  fingers,  wyould  go 
flying  aloft  in  the  air.  Occasionally  one  of  the  men,  from 
mere  force  of  habit,  would  stop  for  a  moment  to  try  to  light 
his  pipe  ;  but  even  if  his  horny  palms  were  sufficient  to  shel- 
ter the  sulphur  match,  the  wet  tobacco  would  not  burn,  and 
the  pipe  was  mechanically  returned  to  its  owner's  pocket. 
There  were  two  or  three  collies,  trotting  by  the  side  of  their 
respective  masters ;  but  what  with  the  drenching  showers 
and  the  bewilderment  of  the  tumultuous  waves,  there  was  not 
a  snap  or  a  snarl  left  amongst  them. 

At  length,  however,  the  road  the  travellers  were  following, 
which  hitherto  had  wound  along  the  shore,  struck  inland ; 
and  at  this  corner  stood  a  solitary  and  dismal-looking  habi- 
tation. There  was  no  sign  of  any  kind  to  denote  that  here 
was  offered  entertainment  for  either  man  or  beast ;  but  no 
1 


2  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

doubt  the  company  knew  the  place ;  for  as  with  one  accord 
they  left  the  highway  and  thronged  into  the  narrow  passage, 
pressing  and  jostling  against  each  other.  All  of  them,  that 
is  to  say,  except  one — an  elderly  man,  of  respectable  appear- 
ance, who  seemed  to  hesitate  about  leaving  the  girl  in  the  cart. 

"  Will  you  not  come  down,  Barbara,"  said  he,  addressing 
her  in  the  Gaelic  tongue,  "  and  step  into  the  house  ?" 

The  young  girl  with  the  dark  blue  Highland  eyes  and 
raven-black  hair  merely  shook  her  head. 

"  Then  will  I  bring  you  out  a  dram,"  said  he,  "  or  a  piece 
of  oatcake  and  cheese  ?" 

"  I  am  not  wishing  for  anything,"  she  answered,  also  speak- 
ing in  Gaelic ;  and  thereupon  the  elderly  shepherd,  consider- 
ing himself  relieved  of  present  responsibility,  followed  his 
companions  into  the  inn. 

Apparently  it  was  but  a  cold  welcome  they  had  received. 
There  seemed  to  be  no  one  about ;  nor  was  there  any  fire  in 
the  grate  of  this  bare,  damp-smelling,  comfortless  chamber 
into  which  they  had  crowded  themselves.  But  they  did  not 
appear  to  mind  much  ;  all  the  pent-up  speech  suppressed  by 
the  storm  had  now  broken  loose;  and  there  was  a  confused 
and  high-surging  babblement  about  funeral  expenses — arrears 
of  rent — the  sale  of  stock — the  intentions  of  the  factor — and 
what  not ;  all  of  them  talking  at  once,  and  at  cross-purposes ; 
contradicting,  asseverating,  with  renewed  striking  of  matches 
and  sucking  of  difficult  pipes.  Indeed,  so  vehement  and  vo- 
ciferous was  the  hubbub  that  when  a  timid-looking  young 
lass  of  about  fourteen  came  along,  bearing  before  her  a  shovel- 
ful of  burning  peats,  she  could  hardly  win  attention,  until  one 
of  them  called  out: 

"  Make  way  for  the  lass  there  !  Come  in,  Isabel.  And 
where  is  your  mother  and  the  whiskey  ?" 

"  My  mother  is  not  so  well  to-day,"  the  girl  replied,  as  she 
put  the  peats  in  the  grate. 

"But  you  can  get  us  the  whiskey?"  was  the  instant  and 
anxious  inquiry. 

"  Oh  yes,  indeed." 

"  Then  make  haste  and  bring  it  to  us,  for  there  is  more 
warmth  in  a  glass  of  whiskey  than  in  all  the  peats  in  the 
island." 


CONVOY  3 

"  And  have  you  any  oatcake  in  the  house  ?"  asked  another. 

"  No,  there  is  no  oatcake  in  the  house,"  the  lass  made 
answer.  "  It  is  at  this  very  moment  that  my  grandmother  is 
baking.'' 

She  left  the  room,  and  shortly  returned  with  a  tray  on 
which  were  ranged  a  number  of  thick  tumblers  and  measures, 
the  latter  filled  with  a  dull  straw-colored  fluid ;  whereupon 
each  man  apportioned  his  own  and  paid  for  the  same.  There 
was  no  drinking  of  healths,  for  they  had  come  away  from  a 
solemn  occasion  ;  but  this  additional  stimulant,  following  pre- 
vious and  liberal  potations,  awoke  a  fresh  enthusiasm  of 
eager  speech — about  pasture  land  and  arable,  the  Crofters' 
Commission,  the  price  of  calves,  and  similar  things.  And 
perhaps  it  was  to  rebuke  them  that  Lauchlan  Maclntyre  the 
shoemaker,  a  tall  gaunt  man  of  melancholy  mien,  pushed  his 
way  through  and  placed  his  fist  on  the  table,  the  better  to 
steady  himself. 

"  A  shame  it  is,"  he  said,  in  Gaelic  that  might  have  been 
fluent  if  it  had  not  been  interrupted  by  apprehensions  of  hic- 
cough— "  a  shame  it  is  that  we  should  be  talking  of  such 
worldly  matters.  Aye,  aye,  indeed,  when  we  should  be  mourn- 
ing with  our  friend — mourning — as  Rachel — mourning,  and 
refusing  to  be  comforted.  It  is  this  day  that  my  heart  is 
sore  for  Donald  Maclean — that  has  seen  the  last  of  his  family 
put  away  from  him  into  the  earth.  A  fine  lass  she  was — aye, 
aye,  indeed,  not  a  handsomer  in  these  islands — and  a  handy 
and  a  useful  creature  about  the  croft ;  but  we  are  as  the  grass 
that  perisheth  and  the  flower  that  withereth ;  and  Donald — 
Donald  will  be  a  sorrowful  man  —  when  he  finds  himself 
among  the  folk  of  Duntroone — so  that  the  saying  will  be  ful- 
filled that  was  written  :  '  Sad  is — the  lowing — of  a  cow — on  a 
strange  pasture  ' — " 

He  tilted  forward,  but  he  did  not  fall ;  for  a  powerful  pair 
of  hands  had  got  hold  of  him  by  the  shoulders,  and  he  was 
dragged  away  from  the  table,  and  thrown  unceremoniously 
into  a  corner.  The  elderly  shepherd  who  had  thus  inter- 
fered, and  who  was  about  the  only  one  of  them  with  any 
remaining  pretensions  to  sobriety,  now  addressed  him  with 
bitter  scorn : 

"  Yes,  you  are  the  fine  man  to  have  your  wits  and  judg- 


4  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

ment  in  such  a  state.  You  do  not  know  that  it  is  Donald 
Maclean  that  we  have  heen  burying  ;  you  do  not  know  that 
his  daughter  is  alive  and  well,  and  waiting  for  us  outside  in 
the  cart ;  you  do  not  know  it  is  she  who  is  going  to*  Dun- 
troone.  And  you  are  the  fine  man  to  have  the  charge  of 
her ;  sure  I  am  you  will  be  in  a  drunken  sleep  as  soon  as  vou 
get  on  board  the  steamer — " 

"Let  be  —  let  be,"  said  Lauchlan,  fumbling  in  his  pocket 
for  his  pipe.  "  I  am  not  for  quarrelling.  I  am  a  peaceable 
man.     Duncan,  have  you  a  match?" 

"  A  match !"  exclaimed  the  other,  with  disdain.  "  Is  it 
nothing  you  can  think  of  but  whiskey  and  tobacco  ?" 

"  Whiskey  ?"  repeated  Lauchlan,  with  an  amazing  alertness. 
"  Well,  now,  it  is  your  head  that  has  the  good  sense  in  it, 
Duncan,  sometimes — and  that  is  the  Bible's  truth.  And  I  say 
what  you  say  ;  another  good  glass  of  whiskey  will  do  us  no 
harm,  since  we  have  to  walk  across  the  island  to  Kilree.  Oh 
yes,  do  not  fear;  I  will  look  after  the  young  lass  and  her 
father ;  I  will  take  them  safely  to  Duntroone.  Have  you  a 
match,  Duncan  ?" 

The  older  man  did  not  answer. 

"  It  is  I  that  must  try  to  get  a  glass  of  milk  for  Barbara," 
he  said  to  himself,  as  he  moved  away,  "  if  there  is  no  oatcake 
in  the  house." 

But  meanwhile.  Lauchlan  —  Long  Lauchlan  the  shoemaker 
he  was  called  in  Duntroone  on  the  mainland — Lauchie,  while 
fumbling  about  for  his  pipe,  had  come  upon  a  jcws-harp  ; 
and  this  was  a  new  inspiration.  With  heroic  endeavor  he 
struggled  to  his  feet;  he  balanced  himself;  he  placed  the  in- 
strument to  his  lips,  and  began  to  play,  in  a  thin,  quavering 
strain,  "Lord  Lovat's  Lament."  Nay,  he  affected  to  give  him- 
self something  of  the  airs  of  a  piper;  in  the  limited  space  at 
his  command,  he  paced  backward  and  forward  with  slow  and 
solemn  steps;  there  was  an  inward  look  on  his  face,  as  if  he 
was  forgetful,  or  disdainful,  of  these  vain  roisterers.  More- 
over, there  was  a  kind  of  nebulous  grandeur  about  the  tall 
and  melancholy  figure  ;  for  since  ever  the  peats  had  been  put 
in  the  grate,  the  wind  had  been  steadily  blowing  down  the 
chimney,  ami  now  the  apartment  was  thick  with  smoke — peat- 
smoke  and  tobacco-smoke  combined  ;  so  that  the  performer, 


CONVOY  5 

with  his  slow  funereal  steps  of  about  three  inches  in  length, 
was  as  the  dark  ghost  of  a  piper,  moving  to  and  fro  unheeded 
and  apart.  And  he  might  very  well  have  been  left  to  his 
harmless  diversion  ;  but  that  was  not  to  be.  In  spite  of  the 
din,  the  tremulous,  wiry  sound  of  the  jews-harp  had  caught 
the  ear  of  a  huge  red-bearded  drover  from  Mull  who  was  on 
the  other  side  of  the  table ;  and  for  some  reason  or  other  he 
became  irritated. 

"  You  there,  Long  Lauchlan,"  he  called,  "  why  do  you  play 
that  foolish  thing  ?  If  the  Free  Church  will  not  let  you  play 
the  pipes,  a  man  who  is  a  man  at  all  would  refuse  to  play  on 
any  instrument !  It  is  the  great  piper  you  are — with  a  child's 
toy  at  your  mouth  !" 

The  piper — or  harper,  rather — paused, advanced  to  the  table, 
steadied  himself,  and  fixed  his  gaze  on  his  enemy. 

"  What — is  it  you  say — about  the  Free  Church  ?"  he  de- 
manded, with  his  small  black  eyes  beginning  to  glitter. 

"This  it  is  I  am  saying,"  responded  the  big  red -bearded 
giant,  with  his  brows  lowering  ominously,  "  that  when  the 
Free  Church  will  be  for  putting  down  the  pipes  throughout 
the  islands,  then  the  man  is  not  a  man,  but  a  dog  every  inch 
of  him,  who  will  give  up  the  pipes  and  take  in  the  place  of 
the  pipes  what  is  allowed  him,  and  that  is  the  low,  pitiful,  vile 
toy  instrument  you  have  there." 

"  Then  you  are  a  liar  !"  said  the  shoemaker,  with  decision. 

"I  am  a  liar?"  repeated  the  other,  in  an  access  of  fury. 
"  But  you  are  worse,  for  you  are  a  son  of  the  devil  and  a  liar 
besides — and  I  will  smash  your  d d  Free-Church  toy  !" 

He  made  a  sudden  snatch  across  the  table,  caught  the  jews- 
harp  out  of  the  shoemaker's  hand,  and  dashed  it  on  the  floor, 
dancing  on  it  with  his  heavy-nailed  boots.  Then  the  tumult 
began  !  The  shoemaker  would  get  round  the  table.  His 
friends  held  him  back.  He  broke  away,  with  imprecations 
and  howls  of  rage.  The  drover — Red  Murdoch  —  equally 
frantic,  was  desperately  striving  to  dispossess  himself  of  those 
who  clung  to  him  or  who  bravely  interposed  themselves  be- 
tween the  two  combatants  ;  while  random  blows  on  both  sides 
did  nothing  worse,  so  far,  than  beat  the  air.  But  what  por- 
tended evil  was  that  the  angry  passions  thus  aroused  showed 
a  tendency  to  become  general.     There  were  excited  cries  and 


HIGHLAND    COUSINS 


remonstrances — the  invariable  prelude  of  a  faction  fight.  And 
then,  as  it  chanced,  by  some  accidental  swaying  of  the  crowd, 
the  table  went  over — went  over  with  a  breenge  fit  to  wake  the 
dead :  the  tray,  the  glasses,  the  measures,  the  unnecessary 
water-bottle,  hurling  themselves  into  the  little  black  fireplace. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  all  this  indescribable  uproar  that  a 
new  figure  suddenly  appeared  on  the  scene — an  old  woman 
with  unkempt  silver-white  locks  and  visage  of  terrible  import. 
She  came  in  quickly  ;  she  was  armed  with  the  rolling-pin  she 
had  been  using  at  the  bake-board ;  and  with  some  strange 
sort  of  instinct  she  seemed  to  make  straight  for  the  two  chief 
offenders. 

"What  is  this,  now,"  she  exclaimed,  in  shrill  Gaelic,  "  what 
is  this  going  on,  and  my  daughter  lying  ill !  Out  with  you, 
you  drunken  savages  !  Out  of  the  house  with  you,  you 
heathen  crew  ! — aye,  every  one  of  you  ! — out  of  the  house  with 
you — out ! — out ! — "  And  these  panting  ejaculations  were 
accompanied  by  strokes  so  energetic  and  unexpected  that  a 
universal  bewilderment  and  confusion  instantly  prevailed.  No 
man's  person,  nor  any  part  of  it,  however  inferior,  was  safe 
from  this  merciless  weapon  ;  though  it  was  mainly  on  the 
Mull  drover  and  on  the  astonished  shoemaker  that  her  valiant 
belaboring  fell. 

"  In  the  name  of  God,  woman,  have  peace !"  cried  one  of 
them. 

But  there  was  no  peace — there  was  war — war  implacable 
and  ferocious — war  that  ended  in  a  decisive  victory  ;  for  in 
an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  she  had  driven  forth  the 
whole  invertebrate  crowd  of  them,  and  slammed  to  the  outer 
door.  They  found  themselves  in  the  rain,  they  hardly  knew 
how  or  why.  They  regarded  each  other  as  if  something  had 
occurred  that  they  were  trying  to  recollect.  Then  their  eyes 
fell  upon  the  cart.  The  young  lass  was  still  patiently  waiting 
there,  the  thick  blue-green  shawl  not  entirely  confining  the 
tags  of  raven-black  hair  that  had  been  loosened  by  the  storm. 
Ami  then  Duncan  t he  shepherd — choosing  to  ignore  this  wild 
thing  thai  had  just  happened — said,  discreetly  : 

"  We'd  better  be  getting  on,  lads.  It  would  be  a  greal 
pity  if  we  were  to  miss  the  Sam/a." 

They  now  followed  the  road  that  cut  across  the  island ; 


CONVOY  7 

and  a  dismal  road  it  was,  leading  through  sombre  wastes  of 
swampy  peat-moss  and  half-frozen  tarns;  with  rarely  a  symp- 
tom of  life  anywhere,  except  the  occasional  clanging-by  over- 
head of  a  string  of  wild  swans  on  their  way  to  the  western 
seas.  But  at  any  rate  the  rain  had  stopped ;  and  the  wind, 
instead  of  being  dead  ahead,  was  now  on  their  quarter,  as  a 
sailor  might  say ;  so  that  they  made  very  good  progress — 
Lauchie  the  shoemaker  clinging  on  to  the  tail  end  of  the  cart, 
and  talking  to  himself  the  while. 

As  the  day  waned,  of  a  sudden  they  encountered  the 
strangest  sound — a  long-protracted  wail  that  rose  and  fell,  as 
if  it  were  some  spirit  of  the  dusk  in  immeasurable  pain. 

"  May  the  Good  Being  save  us,  but  what  is  that  ?"  was  the 
pious  ejaculation  of  one  of  the  company. 

Lauchie,  holding  on  to  the  cart,  and  still  talking  to  himself, 
laughed  and  chuckled. 

"  Oh,  you  are  the  clever  boys,  and  no  mistake  !"  he  said, 
without  looking  at  them.  "You  are  the  clever  ones  that 
would  squeeze  paraffine  oil  out  of  the  peat,  and  you  would 
make  your  own  sheep-dip,  and  you  would  write  to  the  Queen 
complaining  of  the  Commission  and  the  rents.  And  yet  you 
do  not  know  the  new  steam-whistle — you  have  never  heard 
the  siren  steam-whistle  before — and  the  Sanda  has  given  you 
a  splendid  fright ! — " 

"  The  Sanda  /"  exclaimed  a  neighbor,  in  dismay,  and  in- 
advertently he  relapsed  into  English.     "  Is  she  unn  V 

"  Aye,  she's  unn,"  responded  Lauchie,  giggling  to  himself, 
"  and  very  soon  she'll  be  off  again,  and  we'll  hef  to  tek  Bar- 
bara Maclean  ahl  the  well  back  to  Knockalanish." 

But  this  dire  threat  stimulated  them ;  they  pushed  ahead, 
and  urged  on  the  ancient  animal  in  the  shafts ;  and  erelong 
they  came  in  sight  of  the  eastern  shores  of  the  island — with 
the  strip  of  cottages  called  Kilree — the  bay — the  rude  quay 
and  landing-slip — and,  lying  some  few  hundred  yards  out,  a 
stumpy  one-funnelled  steamer  that  was  again  sending  forth 
its  alarming  call.  And  was  not  yonder  the  last  boat  already 
left?  They  waved  their  plaids;  they  whistled;  some  of  them 
ran — and  one  of  them  fell,  and  picked  himself  up  again. 
The  end  of  it  was  that  the  horse  and  cart  were  stopped  at 
the  top  of  the  beach  ;  the  young  lass  was  helped  to  descend ; 


8  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

the  foremost  two  or  three  of  the  company,  hurrying  along, 
had  become  possessed  of  a  boat  lying  by  the  slip ;  and  when 
Barbara  Maclean  and  her  modest  bundle  had  been  deposited 
in  the  stern,  the  promiscuous  crew  unloosed  the  painter, 
shoved  off  the  bow,  plunged  their  oars  into  the  water,  and 
proceeded  to  pull  away  with  a  desperate  resolution  to  overtake 
the  departing  steamer. 

They  pulled  and  they  pulled  and  they  pulled  ;  and  they 
were  men  of  strength  and  sinew;  the  oars  creaked  and  groaned 
in  the  thole-pins.  They  tugged  and  they  strained  and  they 
splashed — heads  down  and  teeth  clinched;  they  put  their 
shoulders  into  the  work  with  a  will ;  they  would  have  cheered 
but  that  they  dared  not  waste  their  breath  ;  and  again  came  a 
long  howl  from  the  Sanda  to  encourage  them — doubtless  she 
had  perceived  them  through  the  gathering  dusk,  and  might  be 
disposed  to  grant  them  a  few  moments  of  grace. 

But  at  this  moment  an  appalling  thing  occurred.  Long 
Lauchie  the  shoemaker,  who  had  roused  himself  from  his 
placid  acquiescence  of  the  last  hour  or  two,  and  was  now 
madly  and  heroically  pulling  stroke,  chanced  to  raise  his  head 
— and  behold  there  was  some  phantasmal  object  confronting 
his  bleared  eyes ! 

"  Aw,  God  !"  he  cried,  terror-stricken,  "  we  have  pulled  the 
quay  away  with  us  !" 

For  there,  undoubtedly,  was  the  landing-slip,  not  a  dozen 
yards  off !  And  the  beach,  and  the  cottages — just  above — 
were  these  also  phantoms  in  the  twilight?  Surely  they  could 
not  have  hauled  the  whole  island  after  them,  out  into  the 
deep ! 

Then  came  one  running  down  to  the  shore,  gesticulating, 
shouting : 

"  There's  a  line  astern !  The  boat's  tied  astern,  man !  Throw 
off  the  line  !" 

And  at  last  it  dawned  upon  Lauchie's  dimly  rotating  brain 
that  the  boat  must  have  been  moored  both  fore  and  aft  along- 
side the  slip — that  they  had  only  released  the  painter  at  the 
bow — and  that  all  their  frantic  pulling  had  gone  for  nothing: 
in  point  of  fact,  they  had  not,  moved  a  yard  beyond  the  length 
of  this  still  attaching  line.  So  blindly  and  mechanically  he 
undid  the  rope  from  tin;  iron  ring,  and  cast  it  into  the  water; 


CONVOY  9 

then  he  resumed  his  place  and  his  strenuous  work — this  time 
with  considerably  less  weight  dragging  behind.  And  in  due 
course  they  reached  the  steamer;  the  young  lass,  Long  Lauchie, 
and  Red  Murdoch  from  Mull  got  on  board  ;  the  others  re- 
turned with  the  boat  to  the  shore.  And  thus  it  was  that 
Barbara  Maclean  left  her  native  island  to  seek  a  home  among 
her  relatives  in  Duntroone. 
1* 


CHAPTER  II 
A    POOR    STUDENT 

The  aunt  of  this  Barbara  Maclean  kept  a  tobacconist's-sliop 
in  Campbell  Street,  which  is  the  main  thoroughfare  in  the 
small  sea-side  town  of  Duntroone ;  and  one  evening  Mrs. 
Maclean  and  her  daughter  Jess  were  seated  in  the  parlor  be- 
hind the  shop,  from  which,  through  a  window  in  the  inter- 
vening door,  they  could  observe  when  any  customer  entered. 
Mrs.  Maclean  was  a  spruce  and  trim  little  body,  fresh-com- 
plexioned,  gray-haired,  and  bright  and  alert  of  look;  her 
daughter  Jessie — or  Jess,  as  she  was  called  by  her  intimates 
— was  a  young  woman  of  about  twenty,  flaxen-haired  and 
freckled,  of  pleasant  features  and  expression,  and  with  gray 
eyes,  ordinarily  tranquil  and  kindly,  that  could  on  occasion 
show  themselves  merry  and  humorous  enough,  not  to  say 
malicious.  For  the  rest,  this  was  quite  a  snug  and  cheerful 
apartment  on  so  cold  a  night ;  a  brisk  coal-fire  was  burning 
in  the  grate ;  a  kettle  simmered  on  the  hob ;  and  there  were 
tea-things  on  the  table. 

"Aye,"  said  the  little  Highland  widow,  as  she  continued 
busy  with  her  knitting-needles,  "  it's  a  sad  thing  for  a  young 
lass  to  be  left  dissolute  in  the  world — " 

"  Desolate,  mother !"  Jess  said,  impatiently,  for  her  mother's 
happy  carelessness  of  speech  was  at  times  a  source  of  consid- 
erable embarrassment  when  neighbors  were  about. 

"Aye,  jist  that,"  the  widow  said,  contentedly;  "it's  a  sad 
thing  for  a  young  lass  to  be  left  dissolute.  But  it's  no  so 
bad  when  she  has  friends  to  turn  to ;  and  I'm  sure  when 
Barbara  Maclean  comes  to  us,  there  will  not  be  a  pennyworth 
of  grudging  in  her  welcome.  No,  no,  my  sister  and  me  we 
had  our  quarrels  in  the  old  days;  Imt  my  sister's  lass  will  not 
want  lor  a  shelter  while  I  have  four  walls  round  me  and  a  fire 
to  warm  my  hands.     And  I  would  not  wonder  if  she  took 


A    POOR    STUDENT  11 

kindly  to  the  ways  of  living  here.  She'll  find  a  difference 
between  Knockalanish  and  Duntroone,  in  the  living  and  the 
housing.  For  well  you  know,  Jess,  it's  not  me  that's  given 
to  the  over-praising  of  creature  comforts ;  still,  at  the  same 
time,  I  like  what  is  Christian  ;  and  I  say  that  having  cattle 
and  human  beings  under  the  same  roof  is  not  Christian. 
It  may  be  very  healthy ;  but  it  is  not  Christian.  And  never 
will  I  forget  the  fortnight  I  spent  at  Knockalanish  when 
my  sister  was  in  her  last  illness;  the  damp  and  the  cold; 
the  peats  soaked  through  with  the  snow ;  the  supper  of 
mashed  potatoes  and  milk ;  and  the  breathing  of  the  cows 
in  the  night.  For  of  course  my  sister  had  the  ben  *  of 
the  house ;  and  the  rest  of  us  we  had  to  put  up  with 
what  beds  and  screens  we  could  get;  and  night  after  night 
I  was  lying  awake,  fearing  to  hear  the  tick  of  the  death- 
watch,  or  the  howling  of  a  dog,  and  it  was  the  breathing 
of  the  cows  you  could  hear,  and  not  so  far  away.  Aye.  And 
Donald  Maclean  he  was  never  the  good  manager,  nor  my 
poor  sister  either,  but  after  her  death  he  lost  heart  altogeth- 
er, and  how  he  was  getting  the  rent,  or  whether  there  was 
more  and  more  of  debt,  no  one  could  tell ;  only  this  I  am 
sure  of,  that  when  his  daughter  Barbara  comes  to  us  she  will 
not  bring  with  her  anvthing  more  than  what  she  stands  up 
in—" 

At  this  moment  some  one  entered  the  shop,  and  Jess  hur- 
ried away  to  attend.  It  was  a  clerkly -looking  youth,  who 
wanted  a  brier-root  pipe  ;  and  very  particular  he  was  ;  but  at 
length  he  was  satisfied ;  whereupon  Jess  returned  to  the 
parlor. 

"  Then  there's  the  lad  Allan,"  continued  the  warm-hearted 
little  widow,  still  busy  with  her  knitting.  "  Well,  now,  I  am 
glad  that  he  sometimes  looks  in  of  an  evening ;  and  he  is 
one  the  more  to  show  to  Barbara  that  she  has  come  among 
her  own  kith  and  kin,  though  his  mother  married  a  Low- 
lander  and  he  has  partly  a  Lowland  name.  But  this  is  it 
now,  Jess,  my  lass,  that  when  he  stays  to  supper  I  wish  you 
would  be  pressing  a  little  more  on  him — yes,  yes — I  wish  you 
would  be  pressing  a  little  more  on  him — " 

*  The  inner  apartment. 


12  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

Jessie  Maclean's  fair  face  flushed  somewhat. 

"  Allan  Henderson  is  very  proud,  mother,"  she  said.  "  And 
if  he  suspected  anything  he  would  never  come  hack." 

"  Pride  and  an  empty  stomach,"  said  the  small  dame,  sen- 
tentiously,  "  are  not  even  cousins  twenty  times  removed. 
Starvation  is  the  worst  of  training  for  any  one,  I  do  not  care 
who  he  is ;  and  the  young  man  is  foolish  who  refuses  when 
there  is  plenty  hefore  him  on  the  tahle.  But  I  have  heard 
of  Allan  and  his  ways  ;  oh  yes,  indeed  ;  hoth  his  father  and 
his  mother  have  told  me ;  that  when  he  was  at  the  College  at 
Glasgow  he  was  costing  them  nothing — well,  next  to  nothing 
beyond  the  fees  for  the  classes,  and  the  hooks,  and  a  lodging ; 
and  now  he  is  paying  back,  and  paying  back,  though  they 
are  not  asking  for  anything,  and  the  post-offus  keeping  them 
very  comfortable  now,  and  I  dare  say  he  has  paid  them  far 
more  than  ever  they  lent  him.  Besides,"  she  went  on,  "  it's 
a  poor  trade  the  school-mastering.  It's  very  little  the  School 
Board  give  him,  after  his  hard  work  at  the  classes.  And  my 
heart  is  sore  to  see  a  young  man  going  about  at  this  time  of 
the  year  without  an  overcoat — when  it's  I  myself  would  glad- 
ly buy  him  one — and  why  should  he  not  take  it  as  a  present 
from  his  mother's  cousin — " 

The  flush  on  the  girl's  face  had  deepened ;  she  turned  to 
trim  the  fire  by  way  of  hiding  her  vexation. 

"  You  could  not  do  that,  mother  !"  she  exclaimed,  in  a  low 
voice.  "  You  would  not  insult  him  ? — and  turn  him  away 
from  the  house  ? — when  he  has  not  too  many  friends.  And 
as  for  school-mastering,"  she  continued,  raising  her  head,  and 
at  times  speaking  with  an  involuntary  tremor  of  pride  in  her 
tones,  "  he  may  not  be  always  a  school-master,  though  there 
arc  many  school-masters  that  are  great  and  famous  men,  at 
the  large  schools  throughout  the  country.  But  if  Allan  is 
only  a  poor  school-master  at  present,  it  will  not  be  always  so, 
you  may  take  my  word  for  that.  Of  course  he  has  not  told 
me  his  plans  and  his  hopes — why  should  he?  I  think  he  is 
too  shy  to  tell  them  to  any  one;  but  I  can  sec  what  he  is; 
I  can  see  what  there  is  in  him  ;  and  1  know  this,  mother,  that 
many  a  long  day  hence  you  and  I  wjll  he  wondering  that  the 
Allan  Henderson  they  are  all  talking  of  in  London  used  to 
come  into  our  parlor  in  Puntrodne  and  smoke  his  pipe  of  an 


A    POOR    STUDENT  13 

evening.  It  may  be  a  long  time  yet ;  but  it  will  be  a  great 
day  for  us — even  if  be  has  no  recollection  of  us ;  and  you'll 
bear  me  out,  mother,  that  I  prophesied  it — "  Some  slight 
noise  arrested  her  attention,  and  she  looked  up.  "  Mercy  on 
us,  here's  Allan  himself !"  she  ejaculated,  in  an  undertone ; 
and  therewith  she  rose  to  open  the  door  for  him — the  color 
not  yet  quite  gone  from  her  face. 

He  was  a  tall  young  man  of  about  three  or  four  and  twenty, 
his  figure  slim  and  spare  but  well  knit,  his  head  bent  forward 
slightly,  his  features  distinctly  ascetic,  yet  with  plenty  of 
firmness  about  the  lines  of  his  mouth,  his  forehead  square 
and  capable,  and  showing  a  premature  line  or  two,  no  doubt 
the  result  of  hard  and  perhaps  injudicious  study.  But  it  was 
his  eyes  that  chiefly  claimed  attention :  large,  soft  brown 
eyes,  that  were  usually  contemplative  and  absent,  but  that 
could  become  singularly  penetrating  when  his  attention  was 
challenged.  It  was  a  concentration,  in  obedience  to  any  such 
summons,  that  appeared  to  demand  some  brief  effort ;  but 
his  perceptions,  once  aroused,  were  swift ;  he  seemed  instant- 
ly to  divine  whether  this  person  or  this  utterance  was  worth 
heeding  or  to  be  turned  away  from  with  indifference  and 
contempt.  Jess  used  laughingly  to  say -of  him,  when  she  was 
grown  spiteful : 

"  Poor  Allan,  the  matter  with  him  is  that  there's  a  cloud 
betwixt  him  and  all  the  world  around  him ;  and  when  you 
think  he  is  looking  over  to  Lismore,  or  to  Morven,  or  Kin- 
gairloch,  it's  the  cloud  he's  staring  at,  and  the  grand  things  he 
sees  there — Roman  battles,  and  such  like,  I  suppose.  And 
some  day  he  will  be  staring  at  the  fine  things  before  him, 
and  he'll  step  over  the  end  of  the  quay,  and  that  will  be  the 
last  of  poor  Allan  !"  And  she  would  continue  her  flouting : 
"  Going  on  for  four-and-twenty,  and  as  big  a  baby  as  ever  he 
was  in  his  childhood !  He  has  not  got  accustomed  to  any- 
thing !  Everything  is  new  to  him — and  everything  wonder- 
ful— if  he  comes  on  a  foxglove  growing  in  the  woods — or 
watches  a  young  foal  following  its  mother — or  he'll  pick  up 
a*  shell  from  the  shore,  and  that's  quite  enough  to  stare  at 
and  wonder  at  too  !  And  what  he  gets  to  laugh  at  passes 
me ! — he'll  burst  out  laughing  when  there  was  no  amusement 
intended  at  all,  and  that  is  not  pleasant  to  people's  feelings ; 


14  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

or  again,  when  the  young  folk  are  a  little  merry,  and  mocking 
at  each  other,  he  will  sit  as  glum  as  if  he  was  looking  at  his 
own  funeral  going  by.  Temper  ? — temper,  indeed  ! — he  is 
the  worst-tempered  young  man  in  Duntroone  !" 

Yet  the  visitor  who  now  came  in  did  not  look  as  if  he  had 
an  evil  temper ;  rather  he  seemed  diffident  as  he  took  the 
seat  that  the  widow  cheerfully  offered  him. 

"  I  was  passing,"  said  he,  by  way  of  apology,  "  and  I 
thought  I  would  step  in  to  ask  if  you  had  heard  of  your 
niece.  Do  you  know  if  the  Sanda  was  able  to  call  at  Kilree  ? 
— the  weather  has  been  bad  out  there." 

"  "Well,  it's  little  I  am  likely  to  hear,"  responded  the  wid- 
ow, "  until  Barbara  and  Lauchlan  Maclntyre  walk  straight 
into  the  shop,  or  come  knocking  at  the  door  of  the  house  ; 
though  maybe  some  one  will  run  up  from  the  quay  to  tell  us 
when  the  Sanda  shows  round  the  point.  There's  Tobermory, 
to  be  sure,  and  they  might  have  telegraphed  from  Tobermory  ; 
but  dear  me,  what  does  that  poor  lass  understand  about  the 
telegraph  ?  and  Lauchlan — well,  Lauchlan  would  be  amongst 
his  friends.  And  yet  I  was  cautioning  him  too.  '  Lauchie,' 
I  was  saying  to  him, '  this  time  at  least  it  is  absolutely  com- 
parative that  you  keep  a  hold  on  yourself,  and  behave  your- 
self at  the  funeral,  and  in  bringing  away  the  lass.'  And  he 
was  saving,  '  Yes,  yes,  mistress,'  again  and  again.  But  I  have 
had  experience  of  Lauchie,  that  he  is  a  good  enough  man  and 
a  sensible  man  until  the  whiskey  gets  over  him;  and  when 
lie  begins  laughing,  then  it's  a  sign  you  need  not  try  to  talk 
any  more  to  him  ;  and  afterwards,  when  he  comes  out  of  it 
and  is  sober  again,  oh,  the  poor,  down-hearted  crayture  that 
he  is ! — as  if  he  had  committed  every  sin  in  the  Catalogue — " 

"  You  mean  the  Decalogue,  mother  !"  Jess  remonstrated. 

"  Aye ;  sometimes  they  say  the  one  and  sometimes  the 
other,"  the  widow  went  on,  with  blithe  effrontery.  "But 
I'm  thinking  the  Sanda  should  be  in  erelong  now  ;  and  there's 
a  hit  supper  waiting  over  the  way;  and  it  would  be  very 
agreeable  to  us,  Allan,  if  you  would  step  across  with  us, 
when  the  shop  is  shut,  and  take  your  place  at  the  table,  t<> 
show  Barbara  that  she  has  come  amongst  several  friends — " 

Hut  he  seemed  to  shrink  back  from  this  proposal. 

"  No,  no,  thanks  to  you  all  the  same,"  he  said — and  he  had 


A    POOR    STUDENT  15 

a  grave,  gentle,  impressive  voice,  that  Jess  listened  to  as  if 
every  word  were  of  value.  "  When  a  girl  comes  to  a  new 
home  in  this  way,  surely  she  would  rather  he  with  her  own 
people,  and  have  no  half-strangers  to  meet.  Afterwards  there 
will  be  plenty  of  time  for  her  to  make  acquaintances." 

"  And  it  is  very  ill  done  of  you,  Allan  Henderson,"  said 
the  little  widow,  boldly  and  indignantly,  "  to  speak  of  your- 
self as  a  stranger,  or  half-stranger,  in  my  house.  Perhaps 
these  are  the  ways  they  have  at  the  College  ;  but  I  am  not 
understanding  such  ways.  Jess,  she  must  be  forever  making 
excuses  ;  and  it's  this  one's  pride,  and  that  one's  pride  ;  but  I 
am  not  understanding  such  pride  when  there  is  the  family  re- 
lationship between  us.  Oh  yes,  every  one  has  heard  of  the 
old  saying  about  the  Macleans  and  their  pride  and  their  pov- 
erty :  '  Though  I  am  poor,  I  am  well  born  ;  God  be  thanked,  I 
am  a  Maclean !'  But  where  is  the  place  for  such  things  be- 
tween cousins  ?  And  when  you  know  very  well,  Allan,  that 
over  the  way,  and  every  night  in  the  week,  there  is  a  place  at 
the  table  for  you,  and  Jessie  and  me  sitting  by  ourselves, 
and  perhaps  you  alone  in  your  lodgings,  and  maybe  without 
a  fire,  too — for  I  have  heard  of  such  things  with  young  men 
eager  to  get  on  in  the  world — well,  then,  it  may  be  College 
manners  for  you  to  stay  away,  but  it  is  not  good  High- 
land manners.     And  that  is  the  truth  I  am  telling  you  at  last." 

Jess  Maclean  looked  apprehensive  and  troubled;  but  the 
young  man  took  all  this  in  good  part. 

"  One  is  not  always  one's  own  master,"  he  answered,  quiet- 
ly. "  I  can  only  give  you  my  best  thanks  for  so  kindly  ask- 
ing me.  And  I  am  sure  you  know  another  old  saying :  '  If  a 
man  cannot  get  to  his  own  country,  it  is  a  good  thing  to  be 
in  sight  of  it.'  " 

"  Will  you  not  light  your  pipe  now,  Allan  ?"  Jess  put  in 
skilfully — to  get  away  from  a  ticklish  subject. 

But  at  this  suggestion,  Mrs.  Maclean,  who  had  been  regard- 
ing the  young  man  (perhaps  with  some  little  compunction, 
for  she  was  not  accustomed  to  scold),  quickly  rose  from  her 
seat  and  left  the  room,  disappearing  into  the  front  shop,  and 
evidently  bent  on  some  errand. 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  vexed  with  my  mother,  Allan,"  said 
Jess,  at  once. 


16  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Oh  no,  indeed,"  he  made  answer.  "  Every  one  knows 
that  she  is  the  kindest  of  women.  And  when  your  cousin 
comes  from  the  islands  she  will  soon  find  that  she  is  in  a 
friendly  home." 

Presently  Mrs.  Maclean  reappeared,  bringing  with  her  an 
unopened  tin  canister. 

"  This  is  a  new  mixture,  Allan,"  said  she,  as  she  placed  the 
box  before  the  young  man,  "  that  has  been  sent  me  from 
Glasgow,  and  I  would  be  glad  if  you  would  take  the  canister 
home  with  you,  and  try  the  mixture,  and  tell  me  your  opin- 
ion, so  that  I  could  be  advising  my  customers  when  they 
come  in.  "Will  you  put  it  in  your  pocket,  or  will  I  send  Chris- 
tina along  with  it  to  you  in  the  morning  ?" 

Jess  looked  swiftly  and  in  alarm  from  one  to  the  other  of 
them.  But  if  his  stubborn  Scotch  independence  prompted 
him  to  refuse  the  gift,  the  Highland  blood  that  also  flowed  in 
his  veins  forbade  that  the  refusal  should  be  in  any  way  dis- 
courteous. He  hesitated  for  a  second — to  find  some  excuse ; 
and  there  was  some  color  of  embarrassment  visible  on  his 
forehead. 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  said  he, 
after  this  involuntary  pause.  "  But — but  I  have  been  think- 
ing of  giving  up  my  pipe  altogether." 

And  now  the  anxiety  of  the  younger  woman  gave  place  to 
an  infinite  distress  and  pity  ;  was  he — simply  because  he  had 
been  driven  into  a  corner,  and  found  himself  unable  to  refuse 
in  any  other  manner  this  proffered  kindness — was  lie  going 
to  deprive  himself  of  the  chief,  perhaps  the  only,  comfort  of 
a  poor  and  solitary  student  ? 

But  at  this  moment  her  attention  was  distracted.  Some 
one  entered  the  shop,  and  approached  the  dividing  door  ;  and 
a  glance  through  the  half-curtained  pane  told  her  who  this 
was — this  was  Mr.  Peter  McFadyen,  coal  merchant  and  town 
councillor.  She  rose  to  receive  the  new  visitor ;  but  she  did 
so  with  impatient  anger  in  her  heart ;  for  she  knew  that  now 
in  a  very  few  minutes  the  proud  and  contemptuous  Allan 
would  be  <ni  his  homeward  way. 


CHAPTER  III 

SIGNALS     OF     DISTRESS 

Yet  Peter  McFadyen  himself  was  about  the  last  man  in 
the  world  to  imagine  that  he  could  be  unwelcome  anywhere ; 
and  as  he  now,  after  salutations  and  inquiries,  proceeded  to 
make  himself  comfortable  in  front  of  the  fire — pulling  out 
his  pipe  and  tobacco-pouch  the  while — he  went  on  to  give 
these  neighbors  a  vivid  account  of  his  day's  doings  on  the 
golf-links,  nothing  doubting  of  their  sympathy  and  keen  in- 
terest. He  was  a  little  man,  round  and  chubby,  with  eager 
twinkling  eyes,  a  clipped  sandy -brown  beard,  and  hair  be- 
coming conspicuously  scant  on  the  top.  For  the  rest,  the 
rumor  in  Duntroone  was  that  McFadyen,  who  was  an  old 
bachelor,  had  it  in  view  to  amalgamate  his  fortunes  with 
those  of  the  widow  ;  bnt  some  there  were  who  surmised  that 
Peter  cherished  other  and  more  romantic  designs. 

"  Dod,"  he  said,  with  a  triumphant  chuckle,  "  Fm  thinking 
the  station-master  and  me  we  were  showing  the  young  fel- 
lows something  this  afternoon  !  Not  that  I  would  call  either 
Mr.  Gilmour  or  myself  elderly  folk — " 

"  Indeed,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  the  widow,  politely,  "  it 
will  be  many  a  long  day  before  you  can  think  of  such  a 
thing." 

"  A  few  years  one  way  or  the  other  is  nothing  at  all,"  re- 
sponded Mr.  McFadyen,  with  obvious  satisfaction.  "  Just 
nothing  at  all !  It  is  a  question  of  keeping  yourself  in  good 
fettle  ;  and  if  one  of  they  young  fellows  and  myself  were  to 
start  away  from  Taynuilt,  I  wonder  which  of  us  would  be 
the  first  to  reach  the  top  of  Cruachan  Ben  ?  Aye,  or  throw- 
ing the  hammer ;  that  is  a  capital  test  of  what  is  in  a  man's 
shoulders ;  and  I  should  not  be  afraid  of  a  match  with  some 
of  them — not  me  !  I've  got  a  practising-place  marked  out  in 
the  backyard — though  it's  rather  narrow  —  and  if  anybody 


18  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

was  a  bit  careless,  the  hammer  would  make  a  fearfu'  smash 
of  the  little  greenhouse — " 

"  Did  I  ever  thank  you  for  the  christmasanthemums,  Mr. 
McFadyen  ?"  the  widow  interposed.  "  They  were  just  beau- 
tiful, though  Jessie  was  sorry  you  should  be  cutting  them — " 

But  Peter  was  not  to  be  diverted  from  vaunting  his  phys- 
ical prowess. 

"  Running — jumping — pulling  an  oar,"  he  continued,  with 
buoyant  assurance  (and  perhaps  widening  out  his  chest  a 
little,  for  he  must  have  known  that  Jessie  Maclean's  '  gray 
eyes  feminine'  were  now  regarding  him) — "give  me  a  week 
or  two's  training,  and  I'm  not  afraid  of  any  of  they  boastin' 
young  chaps.  But  it's  the  links,  Mrs.  Maclean,  it's  the  links 
I  was  coming  to ;  and  we  did  well  there  this  afternoon,  I  can 
tell  you  !  We  did  well,  both  Gilmour  and  me ;  but  I  beat 
him — the  fact  is,  Gilmour  is  a  little  thing  stiff  in  the  joints, 
though  he  doesna  like  to  hear  it  said.  Well,  we  started  from 
the  teeing-ground  just  behind  the  Dunchoillie  farm  ;  and  you 
know  Colquhoun's  meadow,  Mrs.  Maclean,  there's  a  burn 
comes  down  through  the  middle,  and  then  there's  a  bank 
covered  with  whin-bushes :  it's  just  a  desperate  bunker  to  get 
into.  Very  well ;  I  put  the  ball  on  the  tec — a  little  sand  ; 
not  too  much  sand  ;  too  much  sand's  a  great  mistake — and  I 
let  drive  !  Dod,  that  was  a  drive !  Away  she  went  with  a 
ping  like  a  ritle-bullet — sailing  and  sailing — sailing  and  sail- 
ing— and  getting  smaller  and  smaller — until  my  eyes  were 
filled  wi'  water  staring  against  the  white  clouds — and  Gilmour 
he  lost  sight  of  the  ball  altogether.  '  It's  down  in  the  whins  !' 
he  cries.  '  Ye  gomeril,'  I  answers  him, '  it's  more  near  the 
putting-green,  if  not  close  up  to  the  hole  !' — for  I  was  just 
certain  I  had  got  far  away  over  the  burn  and  the  whins,  and 
was  safe  on  to  the  higher  land.  Would  you  believe  it? — 
when  we  got  up,  the  ball  was  within  twenty  yards  of  the  flag; 
and  in  three  more  strokes  I  was  out;  the  first  hole  for  four 
— and  me  that  never  touched  a  golf-club  until  last  summer!'' 

Peter  had  been  growing  excited:  he  now  moderated  his 
warmth. 

"  I  did  not  do  so  well  at  the  second  hole,"  he  observed, 
darkly.  "Maybe  it  was  the  wind;  or  maybe  I  toed  the  ball 
when    1   was  driving  from  the  tee;  anyway  it  got  over  the 


SIGNALS    OF    DISTRESS  19 

dike  and  into  the  road,  aye,  and  into  a  cart-rut,  and  I  thought 
I  was  never  going  to  get  it  over  the  dike  again.  Bother  the 
thing,  I  smashed  my  iron  niblick  clean  in  two — but — but  I'm 
thinking  there  must  have  been  a  flaw  in  the  wood — " 

He  hastened  away  from  these  deplorable  reminiscences. 

"  The  Pinnacle,"  he  said,  laughing  with  eager  anticipation. 
"  We  had  a  rare  game  at  the  Pinnacle  !  For  that's  a  most 
desperate  place,  Mrs.  Maclean,  and  no  mistake — as  steep  as 
the  side  of  a  house — and  all  soomin  with  water — and  unless 
you  get  clear  away  on  to  the  top,  what  happens  is  that  your 
ball  strikes  the  face  of  the  hill,  and  doesna  lie  there,  but  just 
comes  quietly  trintle,  trintle,  trintling  down  the  slope  and 
back  to  your  feet  again.  And  there  was  I  up  on  the  top — 
right  on  the  putting-green,  after  a  fine  long  drive — looking 
down  on  Gilmour;  and  I  declare  there  never  was  such  an 
angry  man!  —  hacking  away  with  his  cleek  —  splashing  the 
mud — and  sweerin'  every  time  the  ball  would  come  trintle, 
trintling  back  down  to  his  feet.  'Gilmour,'  I  cries  to  him, 
'  put  the  ball  in  your  pocket,  man,  and  bring  it  up  with  ye : 
it's  the  only  way  at  the  Pinnacle  !'  And  he  would  not  speak, 
so  angry  he  was ;  and  still  angrier  was  he  when  we  started 
away  for  the  next  hole ;  for  he  forgot  it  was  blowing  up 
there  on  the  top — blowing  right  across  from  Mull  and  Morven 
and  the  Frith  of  Lorn  ;  and  he  put  far  too  much  sand  on  the 
tee — far  too  much  sand,  for  he's  an  obstinate  man,  Gilmour, 
and  will  not  take  a  telling — and  in  his  anger  he  made  a  drive 
that  should  have  sent  the  ball  over  to  Lismore !  Did  it  ?" 
Peter  asked — and  he  roared  with  laughter,  and  his  small  eyes 
twinkled,  and  he  rubbed  his  hands.  "  There  was  just  a  blash 
of  sand  ! — a  blash  of  sand — that  rose  in  the  air — and  back 
it  came  in  his  face — just  filling  his  eyes,  and  filling  his  mouth, 
so  that  he  went  about  splutterin',  and  could  not  even  sweer ! 
Dod,  the  station-master  was  an  angry  man  this  afternoon ! — 
it's  a  fearfu'  place  the  Pinnacle  !" 

At  this  point  the  tall  and  grave  young  school-master  rose  to 
go,  notwithstanding  a  half-concealed  deprecatory  glance  from 
Jess. 

"  Allan,  my  lad,"  said  Mr.  McFadyen,  familiarly,  "  have  you 
heard  of  the  dance  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McAskill,  of  the  Argyll 
Arms,  are  going  to  give  to  the  Gaelic  Choir  ?" 


20  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  No,"  said  the  school-master,  somewhat  curtly. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  then,"  continued  Peter,  with  much  impor- 
tance. "  In  the  Volunteer  Drill  Hall.  A  great  affair,  for 
the  choir  will  sing  glees  between  the  dances,  and  there'll  be 
plenty  of  pipers.  And  sure  I  am  that  every  one  in  this  room 
at  this  minute  will  have  an  invite ;  and  I  have  been  thinking, 
Mrs.  Maclean,  that  if  you  would  let  mc  call  for  you  and  Miss 
Jessie,  I  would  bring  a  machine*  and  drive  you  up  to  the  Drill 
Hall,  for  it's  a  bad  road  in  the  dark,  and  it  would  never  do 
for  you  and  Miss  Jessie  to  get  your  feet  wet — " 

"  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  Jess,  with  some  touch  of  resent- 
ment, "  I  think  you  are  forgetting  what  has  just  happened  in 
our  family — " 

"  Oh,  but  the  dance  is  a  long  way  off  yet !"  said  Peter. 
And  then  he  went  on,  with  humorous  shyness :  "  Maybe,  if 
any  one  should  have  a  doubt  about  going,  maybe  that  one's 
myself  ;  maybe  they'll  be  saying  that  my  dancing  days  should 
be  over — " 

"And  who  could  be  saying  that?"  interposed  the  widow, 
promptly.  "  That  would  be  nonsense  indeed  !  I  should  not 
wonder,  now,  if  you  could  give  lessons  to  some  of  those  young 
lads  and  lasses." 

He  turned  to  her  with  sudden  seriousness. 

"  If  there's  one  thing  surer  than  another,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  he 
said,  "  it's  this — that  a  well-trained  step  is  never  forgotten. 
Begin  well — that's  everything  in  dancing — and  ye  acquire  a 
grace — an  elegance,  I  might  say — that  becomes  a  kind  of  sec- 
ond nature.  Not  that  I  object  to  a  rough-and-tumble  reel 
now  and  again ;  no,  no ;  I'm  not  more  afraid  of  a  foursome 
reel  than  I  am  of  a  foursome  round  on  the  links.  But  there's 
something  finer.     Miss  Jessie,  do  you  know  the  Yarsoviana?" 

"  I  have  seen  it,"  Jess  Maclean  answered,  coldly. 

"But  it's  the  simplest  thing  —  the  simplest  thing  in  the 
world  !"  he  vehemently  urged.  "Just  stand  up  for  a  minute, 
now,  and  I'll  show  ye — " 

lie  himself  got  up,  put  his  toes  into  tin'  first  position,  and 
held  out  Ins  band  to  encourage  her.  But  she  declined  to 
mo*  <•. 

"  If  yon  please,  I  would  rather  not,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  she 
said,  with  flushed  fare. 


SIGNALS  OF  DISTRESS  21 

"  But  look  !"  said  lie.  And  therewith,  whistling  an  air  with 
pursed  lips,  he  proceeded  to  execute  certain  short,  stiff  mari- 
onette-like movements,  as  well  as  he  could  in  the  circumscribed 
space  at  his  disposal. 

"  D'you  see,  now  ? — as  simple  as  simple  ! — then  lead  off 
with  the  next  foot — the  other  foot  at  every  turn — d'ye  see 
how  simple  it  is  ? — and  the  most  elegant  thing  that  ever  was 
seen,  with  a  lot  of  couples  in  a  ballroom."  He  ceased  from 
these  valorous  efforts,  and  resumed  his  chair,  proud,  breathless, 
and  happy.  "  We'll  get  you  to  have  a  try  at  it  some  other  even- 
ing, Miss  Jessie,"  said  he,  gayly.  "  I'm  thinking  we'll  be  able 
to  show  them  something:  the  nie;ht  of  Mrs.  McAskill's  dance  !" 

Allan  Henderson  had  been  waiting  patiently,  not  wishing 
to  interrupt. 

"  I  will  bid  you  good-evening  now,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  said  he. 

"  Good-night,  Allan,"  she  made  answer,  holding  out  her  hand. 

But  Jess  followed  him  into  the  front  shop,  shutting  the 
door  behind  her. 

"  I  am  sorry  if  Mr.  McFadyen  and  his  blethers  have  driven 
you  away,  Allan :  you  do  not  come  to  see  us  as  much  as  you 
might." 

"  I  must  get  home  to  my  books,"  he  answered  her,  eva- 
sively. 

"  And  I  hope,  Allan,"  she  said,  regarding  him  with  anxious 
and  earnest  eyes,  "  that  you  are  not  working  too  hard  at  your 
studies." 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  when  one  is  young  one  must  work  hard. 
It  is  the  only  time  ;  there  is  no  after-time.  But  I'll  be  look- 
ing in  to  see  you  and  your  mother  again  one  of  these  even- 
ings.    Good-night,  Jessie  !" 

"  Good-night,  Allan  !"  said  she  ;  and  when  he  had  gone,  she 
lingered  awhile  :  she  did  not  care  to  return  at  once  to  the  par- 
lor, where,  doubtless,  Mr.  McFadyen  was  still  engaged  in  mag- 
nifying his  strength,  his  agility,  and  innumerable  accomplish- 
ments. 

On  the  other  hand,  Allan,  when  he  left  the  tobacconist's- 
shop,  did  not  immediately  return  to  his  lodging  and  his 
books.  He  was  at  an  age  and  in  circumstances  that  imper- 
atively demanded  close  and  strenuous  self-communion  ;  and 
that  he  was  accustomed  to  seek  in  solitary  walks  along  the 


22  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

sea-shore  or  up  on  the  moorland  wastes,  especially  at  night, 
when  darkness  and  silence  were  abroad.  And  tumultuous  in- 
deed were  the  problems  he  found  confronting  him  in  these  lone- 
ly rambles.  There  were  deep  and  inscrutable  searchings  of 
heart,  for  no  matter  what  his  training  and  his  traditions  may 
have  been,  he  was  resolute  and  uncompromising  in  his  search 
after  such  truth  as  might  be  discoverable — about  human  nat- 
ure, and  the  surroundings  of  human  nature,  and  the  more  aw- 
ful mysteries  beyond  ;  there  were  ambitious  projects  springing 
thick  from  an  over-active  brain  —  elusive,  distracting  phan- 
toms that  just  as  often  as  not  beat  wild  wings  against  the  res 
angusta  clomi ;  the  res  anr/usta  domi  itself  came  in  with  its 
sordid  cares  and  pinchings — the  need  of  a  pair  of  weather- 
proof boots — the  counting  the  cost  of  a  holiday  trip  to  see 
his  father  and  mother,  who  kept  the  post-office  at  Inverblair 
—  this  latest  project  of  giving  up  tobacco  —  and  the  like; 
while  ever-recurrent  were  the  vague  and  harassing  visions  of 
youth — that  troubled  questioning  of  the  future,  with  all  its 
tantalizing  hopes,  its  looming  anxieties,  its  hidden  dangers 
and  pitfalls.  But  happily  for  him,  in  this  seething  time,  in 
this  time  of  storm  and  stress,  he  had  been  spared  the  crown- 
ing misery  of  all.  The  "cruel  madness  of  love"  had  not 
overtaken  him ;  that  honeyed  poison-cup,  at  all  events,  had 
not  been  placed  to  his  lips. 

He  passed  through  the  now  half-dormant  town,  went  round 
the  obscure  and  silent  quays,  ascended  a  steep  incline,  and 
eventually,  emerging  from  the  black  shadow  of  some  larches, 
stepped  out  upon  a  little  plateau  on  the  summit  of  the  Gal- 
lows Hill.  It  was  a  favorite  resort  of  his;  here  he  could  pace 
up  and  down,  exorcising  the  demons  of  unrest  and  doubt  a#nd 
despondency,  and  bidding  the  great  surrounding  mountains 
lend  him  some  little  measure  of  their  invulnerable  calm.  On 
this  particular  night,  it  is  true,  the  darkness  was  such  that 
nothing  was  visible  of  all  those  vast  mountain  ranges;  but 
well  he  knew  the  whereabouts  of  the  mighty  peaks  and  shoul- 
ders, from  Den  Buie  and  Creachbienn  and  I  Min-da-gu,  over  in 
Mull,  to  Glashven  and  Fuar  Bheinn,  up  in  Morven;  from  the 
far  giants  of  Glencoe,  murmuring  to  each  other  across  the 
silence  of  the  valleys,  round  to  Ben  Cruachan  and  \'^\\  Eunaich, 
above  the  lonely  and  ghostly  solitudes  of  Glen-strae.     August 


SIGNALS    OF    DISTRESS  23 

companions,  to  be  sure,  even  if  unseen  ;  they  appeared  to  lift 
the  soul  away  from  the  trivial  task  and  frettings  of  every-day 
life  ;  these  he  seemed  for  the  moment  to  have  left  behind  him 
— down  in  yonder  little  town,  that  he  could  now  make  out  only 
by  certain  glowworm  dots  scattered  here  and  there,  indicating 
the  semicircular  sweep  of  the  bay. 

Of  a  sudden  his  eyes  were  attracted  elsewhither.  Far  away 
at  the  back  of  Kerrara  Island  a  white  shaft  of  fire  had  sprung 
into  the  mirk  of  the  night — a  distant,  trembling,  curving,  si- 
lent thing  that  glared  for  a  second  or  so,  and  then  vanished, 
leaving  the  darkness  as  impenetrable  as  before.  And  for  a 
moment  he  asked  himself  whether  the  Mull  people — the  peo- 
ple down  about  Duart — were  setting  off  fireworks.  But  what 
occasion  could  there  be  for  fireworks  ?  The  next  instant 
another  slender  white  shaft  rose  silent  into  the  air  ;  and  now, 
judging  by  the  position  of  the  Lismore  light — the  one  steady, 
radiant  star  in  all  this  wide,  black  picture- — these  signals 
seemed  to  be  coming  from  some  point  between  Lismore  and 
Mull.  But  signals  ? — not  fireworks  at  all  ?  And  if  signals, 
then  signals  from  some  vessel  in  distress  ?  And  what  vessel 
was  now  expected,  except  the  Sanda,  that  was  bringing  to 
the  household  of  the  Macleans  the  young  girl  from  the  outer 
isles? 

He  sped  away  down  the  hill-side  and  gained  the  dusky 
thoroughfares.  The  few  people  about  had  not  noticed  the 
signals — perhaps  the  northern  end  of  Kerrara  Island  had  pre- 
vented their  being  seen.  But  soon  there  was  sufficient  com- 
motion in  the  little  town ;  and  one  old  sailor,  hurrying  along 
with  his  companions  to  a  commanding  point  to  discover  what 
had  happened  or  was  happening,  was  heard  to  say  to  himself : 

"  The  Sanda  ?  But  the  Sanda  would  be  coming  over  from 
Craigenurc  !  And  how  the  duffle  could  she  get  so  far  down 
to  the  west  ?" 


CHAPTER   IV 
ON   A   ROCK 

•Now  when  the  Sanda  left  Craigenure,  Long  LauchLn  the 
shoemaker  was  clown  in  the  fore-cabin,  snugly  huddled  up  in 
a  corner ;  and  he  was  nursing  a  soda-water  bottle  half  filled 
with  whiskey,  while  he  softly  sang  to  himself.  It  was  not  a 
lugubrious  song ;  but  lugubriously  and  slowly  he  sang  it,  es- 
pecially the  refrain : 

" '  If  ye'll  walk, 
If  ye'll  walk, 
If  ye'll  walk  with  me  anywhere,'1 " 

the  a's  in  which  he  pronounced  as  the  a  in  dark,  dwelling  on 
them  indefinitely.  Red  Murdoch,  the  Mull  drover,  who  had 
been  having  a  royal  time  of  it  since  these  two  left  Kilree,  and 
who  chanced  to  be  the  only  other  occupant  of  the  cabin,  at 
length  interrupted  angrily. 

"  To  the  devil  with  your  south-country  songs  !"  he  cried,  in 
Gaelic. 

But  the  long,  melancholy -visaged  shoemaker  took  no  of- 
fence ;  he  was  too  happy. 

"  It's  a  beautiful  song,  a  beautiful  song,"  he  said,  also  in 
Gaelic.  "And  if  it  is  a  south -country  song,  it  is  a  song 
that  is  known  to  every  fisherman  from  Peterhead  to  Buckie. 
There  is  no  more  favorite  song."  He  raised  his  forefinger  to 
beat  the  slow  time.     "  A  beautiful  song. 

"'Ifx  J  will  buy  you  a  pennyworth  of  preens, 
If  ye'll  walk, 
If  ye'll  walk, 
If  ye'll  walk  with  me  anywhere.''  " 

"The  man  is  a  fool  that  would  sing  such  a  .song!"  said  the 
red-bearded  drover,  bluntly. 


ON     A     ROCK  25 

Whereupon  Lauchie  laughed  and  chuckled  quietly  to  him- 
self. 

"  Oh  yes,  I  may  be  a  fool.  But  I  would  rather  be  a  fool 
than  a  man  with  bad-luck." 

"  Who  is  a  man  with  bad-luck  ?"  demanded  Murdoch,  his 
bushy  eyebrows  drawing  together. 

Lauchie  appeared  to  be  secretly  amused. 

"  Then  you  do  not  know  you  are  of  the  same  name  with 
the  man  of  bad-luck  ?"  he  went  on.  "  Oh,  you  do  not  know 
what  they  say  of  the  luck  of  Red  Murdoch  ?  They  say  to 
any  one,  '  You  have  the  luck  of  Red  Murdoch  ;  for  when 
Red  Murdoch  is  in  the  north,  then  the  herring  are  in  the 
south.' " 

"If  I  knew  the  man  that  said  that  of  me,"  rejoined  Mur- 
doch, with  fiery  eyes — and  he  even  thrust  forth  a  massive 
and  hairy  fist,"  clinched,  to  give  emphasis  to  his  threat,  "  I 
would  bash  his  head  against  a  stone-wall." 

"  Have  a  dram,  Murdoch,"  said  Lauchie,  tendering  the 
bottle,  which  was  not  refused.  "  It's  not  I  that  am  going  out 
of  the  house  to-night — no,  not  to  fight  any  one.  I  am  a 
peaceable  person.  Better  a  warm  fireside  than  a  cold  hill- 
side, that  is  what  the  wise  man  of  Ross  was  saying.  Mur- 
doch," he  continued,  suddenly  reverting  to  the  blissful  days 
that  were  now  nearing  an  end,  "  it  was  a  beautiful  funeral. 
That  is  what  I  am  thinking.  It  was  a  beautiful  funeral. 
There  was  no  parsimony.  How  many  gallons  of  whiskey, 
would  you  say? — seven  ? — aye,  aye,  and  maybe  more  like  seven 
and  a  half.  There  was  two  or  three  glasses  apiece  when  we 
came  together ;  and  there  was  two  more  at  the  house  ;  well, 
that  was  right  and  proper ;  and  although  it  is  not  easy  for 
eight  men  to  keep  in  step,  when  they  have  a  heavy  coffin  on 
their  shoulders,  there  was  not  a  single  man  fell  into  the  road, 
and  each  time  the  coffin  was  set  down,  it  was  set  down  as 
gently  as  if  it  was  a  cradle,  not  a  coffin  at  all.  And  two  more 
glasses  to  each  man  at  the  gate  of  the  cemetery.  And  two 
more  coming  away.  After  that — aw,  God,  I  am  not  remem- 
bering much — there  was  little  use  in  counting — but  sure  I  am 
there  was  no  parsimony  ;  and  it  was  the  fine  funeral  that  was 
given  to  Donald  Maclean  of  Knockalanish.  Have  you  a 
match,  Murdoch  ?" 


26  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  I  am  tired  of  giving  matches  to  a  fool  of  a  man  that  will 
not  carry  them  for  himself,"  answered  lied  Murdoch,  sulkily 
and  tauntingly. 

But  Lauchie  would  not  quarrel.  He  resignedly  put  his 
pipe  in  his  pocket  again ;  he  settled  himself  in  a  corner,  his 
head  drooping  somewhat ;  and  he  resumed  his  placid  and 
happy  communing  with  himself. 

"A  beautiful  song — not  a  fisherman  from  Peterhead  to 
Buckie  but  knows  it — a  beautiful  song — 

"  '  It's  /  will  buy  you  a  braw  new  gown, 

With  buttons  so  fine,  and  Jlounces  to  the  ground, 
If  ye1 11  waak, 
If  ye' 11  waak, 
If  ye' 11  waak  with  me  anywhere.'' 

A  beautiful  song.  .  .  .  And  a  beautiful  funeral  ...  no  par- 
simony at  all — " 

Then  his  head  fell  wholly  ;  he  was  fast  asleep.  Red  Mur- 
doch glanced  at  him  with  angry  scorn,  threw  a  parting  oath  at 
him,  and  turned  to  leave  the  cabin.  And  this  he  managed, 
after  several  efforts — for  the  steps  of  the  companion  were  nar- 
row and  exceedingly  steep — to  do ;  bands,  knees,  and  feet  were 
all  brought  into  requisition ;  and  eventually  he  emerged  into 
the  upper  air. 

Meanwhile  what  had  become  of  the  young  lass  from  the 
outer  isles  whom  these  two  worthies  were  convoying  to  Dun- 
troone  ?  Once  or  twice  she  had  been  invited  to  go  down  into 
the  fore-cabin  ;  but  she  had  refused — for  the  odor  of  the  place 
was  overpowering ;  she  preferred  to  remain  on  deck  ;  and  the 
steward  had  considerately  brought  her  some  tea  and  some 
food.  She  had  got  into  a  more  or  less  sheltered  place  well 
away  forward  ;  and  there  she  sat  with  her  tartan  shawl  drawn 
close  around  her,  silent  and  solitary,  and  half  terrified  by  the 
strange  things  around  her.  For  she  had  never  been  on  a 
steamer  before;  and  although  the  monotony  of  the  long  voy- 
age  had  produced  a  state  of  semi-stupefaction,  she  remained 
nervously  alive  to  all  her  surroundings — to  the  throbbing  of 
the  screw,  the  lash  of  the  waves  along  the  vessel's  side,  and 
the  dusky  figures  moving  about  the  deck.  The  night  was  ob- 
scure and  squally,  but  at  least  there  was  no  rain,  and  the 


ON     A    ROCK  27 

high  bulwarks  were  a  sort  of  protection  to  her  against  the 
hurling  gusts  of  wind. 

Now  there  had  come  on  board  at  Craigenure  two  gentle- 
men who  were  returning  home  to  Duntroone — one  of  them, 
indeed,  the  principal  doctor  there,  the  other  a  well-known 
bailie  ;  and  these  two  had  wandered  up  to  the  bow  of  the  ship 
to  look  around  them — and  they  were  chatting  to  each  other. 
Barbara  Maclean  heard  every  word. 

"  Surely  we're  keeping  a  long  way  from  Lismore,  bailie," 
the  doctor  said,  regarding  the  steady  and  golden  ray  of  the 
light-house  that  was  shining  boldly  through  the  mirk  of  the 
night.  "  I  wonder  how  many  times  I  have  crossed  from 
Craigenure,  and  yet  I  never  saw  a  course  like  this  taken 
before." 

"Maybe  Pattison  is  trying  to  cheat  the  tide,"  replied  the 
bailie.     "  There's  fearful  tides  running  here  at  times." 

"  Well,  Captain  Pattison  should  know  his  own  business 
best,"  the  doctor  was  saying — when  of  a  sudden  he  gripped 
his  companion's  arm.  "  What's  that  there — right  ahead  ?" 
he  exclaimed,  staring  with  amazement  and  consternation  at 
some  vague,  half-invisible,  dark  object  that  seemed  to  loom 
up  out  of  the  water.  And  then  again,  instantly  recognizing 
what  was  about  to  happen,  he  called  out :  "  It's  the  Lady 
Rock!  For  God's  sake,  man,  hold  on!  —  hold  on  to  some- 
thing !" — while  he  himself  caught  at  the  nearest  portion  of 
the  standing  rigging,  and  braced  himself  as  best  he  might  to 
withstand  the  coming  crash. 

There  appeared  to  be  no  interval.  Almost  simultaneously 
with  his  shouted  warning  came  the  inevitable,  the  terrific 
shock  that  seemed  to  rive  the  ship  from  stem  to  stern  ;  then 
she  lurched  forward  and  upward,  with  a  hideous  grinding 
sound  ;  then  she  dipped  somewhat ;  and  then  she  hung — 
hung  there  for  one  dreadful  second  of  silence,  as  if  she  were 
some  dumb  animal  mutely  asking  what  was  next  required  of 
her — whether  she  should  carry  on  some  half-dozen  yards  far- 
ther, and,  with  smashed  bows  and  started  plates,  go  headlong 
to  the  bottom,  in  fifty  fathoms  of  water.  But  no ;  she  re- 
mained firm  ;  and  she  remained  upright,  though  with  a  strong 
list  to  starboard  ;  and  now,  after  that  one  moment  of  paralyzed 
silence  and  suspense,  an  indescribable  clamor  and  commotion 


28  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

ensued — women  shrieking  and  running  hither  and  thither  for 
their  relatives,  the  sailors  hurrying  along  with  lanterns,  the 
captain  calling  his  orders  from  the  hridge.  And  all  through 
this  bewilderment  of  noise  and  confusion  there  ran  the  omi- 
nous hoarse  surge  of  the  tide  on  the  isolated  rocks  beneath 
and  around  them  ;  it  was  as  a  voice  out  of  the  unseen  ;  and  it 
was  a  clamorous  and  an  angry  voice — a  voice  that  threatened 
doom. 

Barbara  Maclean  had  been  thrown  violently  on  to  the  deck ; 
but  when  she  raised  herself,  she  had  no  thought  of  rushing 
about,  claiming  protection  and  succor.  Her  faculties  had  been 
stunned  and  blunted  by  these  terrors  of  the  sea  and  of  the 
night ;  and  when  she  resumed  her  place,  she  only  pulled  her 
shawl  around  her,  cowering,  and  perhaps  crying  a  little  in  her 
helplessness.  She  knew  nothing  of  what  was  going  forward. 
She  saw  dark  figures  going  quickly  about  with  lanterns ;  but 
they  did  not  chance  to  come  near  her ;  and  even  in  that  case 
she  would  have  been  too  timid  to  put  any  question.  It  is 
true,  she  did  utter  a  brief  cry  of  dismay  when  the  first  rock- 
et, with  a  shrill  and  sudden  scream,  sprung  high  and  blinding 
into  the  gloom ;  but  in  time  she  got  used  even  to  that ;  while 
the  intermittent  thunder  of  the  signal-cannon  only  seemed  to 
shake  her  frame  physically.  She  was  too  dazed  to  feel  further 
or  acute  alarm  ;  what  might  happen  would  have  to  happen  ; 
she  was  far  away  from  her  own  land,  and  from  things  with 
which  she  was  familiar.  As  for  the  two  men  who  had  in  a 
kind  of  fashion  undertaken  to  see  her  safely  to  Duntroone, 
neither  was  of  near  relationship  to  her,  and  she  could  not  ex- 
pect much  care  from  them;  besides,  she  knew  the  ways  of 
people  who  have  been  to  a  Highland  funeral  out  in  the  west; 
and  she  was  content  to  remain  unassisted  and  alone. 

The  odd  thing  was  that  in  such  a  crisis  of  danger  Red 
Murdoch  should  have  thought  first  not  of  this  forlorn  creature, 
but  of  his  boon  companion,  with  whom  he  was  constantly 
quarrelling.  Ho  stumbled  along  to  the  fore-cabin  ;  he  steadied 
himself  at  the  top  of  the  companion;  he  howled  aloud  his 
warning;  and  then,  finding  there  was  no  reply,  he  made 
his  way  — to  speak  plainly,  lie  fell  —  down  the  steps;  lie 
crossed  the  floor,  and  seized  Lauchie  Maclntyrc  by  the  coat- 
collar. 


ON    A    ROCK  29 

"  Here,  man,  come  away  ! — do  you  not  understand  ? — we 
may  all  of  us  be  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  in  a  minute ! — " 

Lauchie  endeavored,  but  in  a  gentle  manner,  to  repel  this 
interference. 

"  No,"  he  said,  slowly,  bat  firmly,  "  I  will  not  stir  from  the 
house  this  night.  It  is  I  that  am  knowing  when  I  am  well 
off.  Go  away  yourself,  Murdoch.  It's  a  warm  house  I  am 
in  ;  and  a  warm  house  is  better  than  a  cold  hill-side — " 

"  Son  of  the  devil !"  roared  Murdoch,  furiously.  "  Do  you 
not  know  that  we  are  on  a  rock  ?" 

"  And  the  house  that  is  founded  on  a  rock  is  a  beautiful 
house,"  said  Lauchie,  solemnly.  "  Have  you  a  match,  Mur- 
doch ?" 

Murdoch  did  not  answer,  but  now  with  both  hands  he 
seized  the  coat-collar  of  the  shoemaker,  and  by  main  force 
dragged  him  to  the  foot  of  the  companion.  Then  first  he 
tried  to  shove  him  up  the  steps ;  next  he  tried  to  drag  him 
up ;  presently  they  both  fell  together ;  and  it  is  impossible 
to  say  what  might  have  happened  had  not  a  sailor,  hearing 
some  noise,  come  to  the  top  of  the  companion  and  called 
down — 

"  Uss  there  any  one  below  there  ?" 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  called  Murdoch,  in  reply.  "  Come  here  and 
give  me  a  little  assustance  with  a  friend  of  mine,  that  uss 
rather  too  sleepy  to  go  ashore  by  himself." 

The  sailor  came  running  down  the  companion  ;  and  fortu- 
nately he  was  a  powerfully  built  man. 

"Going  ashore?"  said  he,  grimly,  as  he  proceeded  to  hoist 
and  shoulder  these  two  up  the  steps.  "  It's  miles  aweh  from 
any  shore  you  are !  And  the  sooner  you  are  out  of  this  boat 
the  better.     Would  you  like  to  be  left  behind  ?" 

For  now  it  appeared  that  the  captain  had  decided  that  the 
passengers,  at  least,  should  descend  from  the  steamer,  taking 
such  precarious  chance  of  safety  as  might  be  afforded  by  the 
solitary  reef  on  which  they  had  struck.  The  gangway  was 
open,  a  ladder  affixed,  and  by  the  dusky  glare  of  two  lamps 
woman  after  woman,  and  man  after  man,  went  down  the  side, 
to  seek  out  for  some  footing  among  the  wet  and  slippery  sea- 
weed and  the  hidden  pools  of  salt-water.  They  crowded 
together,  these  poor  wretches,  deafened  by  the  rush  and  roar 


30  HIGHLAND    COUSIXs 

of  the  tides  all  around  them  ;  and  perhaps  wondering  when 
those  baleful  forces  would  arise  out  of  the  dark  and  seize 
and  engulf  them.  They  dared  hardly  move,  for  a  single 
false  step  might  plunge  them  into  unknown  deeps,  and  the 
lights  of  the  steamer  were  dim.  Those  indeed  were  best  off 
who  could  cling  on  to  the  massive  iron  bars  of  the  beacon  that 
marks  the  rock — a  nameless  skeleton  of  a  structure  that  tow- 
ered away  above  them  into  the  sombre  skies.  And  mean- 
while, at  intervals,  from  the  deck  of  the  ship,  the  rockets  went 
screaming  into  the  night,  and  the  signal-cannon  boomed  its 
reverberations  across  the  waste  of  waves.  But  half -hour 
after  half-hour  went  by,  and  there  was  no  response. 

"  They  can  neither  see  nor  hear  us,"  the  doctor  said  to  his 
neighbor.  "We  are  too  far  away  for  the  sound  to  carry. 
And  Kerrara  lies  between  us  and  Duntroone  ;  they  will  not 
see  the  rockets." 

"But  surely  the  people  at  Lismore  light  must  see  them  1" 
said  the  bailie. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  that  is  possible.  But  they  have  no  telegraph 
there." 

"No  telegraph  at  the  light-house?"  exclaimed  the  bailie, 
indignantly.  "  Then  it  is  a  monstrous  and  mischievous 
shame !  A  fine  piece  of  economy  !  Who  is  responsible  for 
that— the  Board  of  Trade  ?"  And  then  he  added,  "  But  at 
least  they  have  a  boat  at  the  light-house  ?" 

"  Aye  ;  but  not  a  boat  that  would  be  of  much  use  to  us 
across  that  driving  sea." 

Nevertheless,  the  captain  was  about  to  tempt  these  stormy 
waters,  in  hopes  of  obtaining  assistance  from  the  mainland.  In 
the  dull  glow  of  the  lamps,  the  shipwrecked  crowd  could  per- 
ceive the  boat  being  lowered  from  the  side  of  the  stranded 
vessel  ;  presently  the  mate  and  two  of  the  hands  had  got  into 
it;  and  in  a  few  minutes  it  had  disappeared — into  the  niys- 
terious  surrounding  chaos.  There  was  no  cheer  raised  as 
the  boat  departed  ;  this  small  assemblage  of  folk,  hardly  visi- 
ble to  each  other,  and  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  the 
blackness  of  the  reef,  was  too  dispirited  and  perturbed  ;  Dun- 
troone and  the  possibilities  of  help  were  miles  away,  while 
the  dangers  immediately  encompassing  them  were  pressing 
and  near. 


ON     A     ROCK  31 

"  When  the  tide  rises,  how  many  of  us  could  clamber  up 
and  hold  on  to  the  beacon  ?"  asked  the  bailie  of  his  com- 
panion. 

Barbara  Maclean  heard  this  question  put,  but  did  not  di- 
vine its  import.  She  was  standing  alone  and  friendless  and 
helpless,  weeping  silently,  her  shawl  not  much  of  a  protec- 
tion now  against  the  blasts  of  wind  tearing  across  the  ex- 
posed reef.  She  was  benumbed  with  cold  and  misery  ;  not 
knowing  what  might  happen  ;  conscious,  too,  that  all  her  lit- 
tle possessions  —  her  chest,  containing  everything  that  she 
owned  in  the  world — had  been  left  on  board  the  steamer — the 
steamer  that  at  any  moment  might  slip  forward  and  vanish 
from  before  their  eyes  into  fifty  fathoms  of  ocean. 


CHAPTER  V 
THE     FIREFLY 

When  the  young  school-master,  alarmed  by  those  signals 
of  distress  that  rose  white  and  silent  into  the  distant  night, 
sped  away  down  from  the  Gallows  Hill,  he  made  straight  for 
the  house  of  the  agent  of  the  Steam-Packet  Company. 

"  It  may  he  the  Sanda"  said  the  agent,  at  once  hurrying 
off  to  get  his  overcoat  and  hat.  "  She's  hours  late  as  it  is. 
Anyway  we  must  run  out  to  see  what  is  the  matter ;  and 
luckily  the  Firefly  lighter  is  lying  at  the  qiuay ;  she'll  not  be 
long  in  getting  up  steam." 

"  Would  you  let  me  go  with  you,  Mr.  Stewart  ?"  Allan  asked. 

"Why  not?  Why  not?  You're  the  first  to  bring  the 
news — " 

"  For  there's  a  young  lass,"  Allan  explained,  "  coming  by 
the  Sanda  from  Kilree  ;  she's  a  niece  of  Mrs.  Maclean  in 
Campbell  Street ;  and  the  Macleans  would  take  it  as  a  friend- 
ly thing  if  I  went  out  to  see  if  there  was  anything  to  be  done 
for  her — " 

"  Why  not?"  said  the  good-natured  agent;  and  he  took  up 
his  stick,  which  was  his  symbol  of  authority,  and  opened  the 
door  for  himself  and  his  companion. 

"  And  would  there  be  time  for  me  to  run  round  to  Mrs. 
Maclean's  and  get  a  few  wraps,  and  things  of  that  kind  ?" 
continued  Allan.     "The  night  is  cold." 

"  Well,  yes,  if  you  are  quick  about  it;  but  you  must  not 
keep  me  waiting,"  said  the  agent,  as  he  hastened  away  on  his 
own  errand,  along  the  dark  and  wet  sea-front. 

It  took  the  tall  young  school-master  but  a  minute  or  two 
to  reach  Mrs.  Maclean's  house — the  shop  being  ihiw  shut. 

"  And  is  the  Sanda  coming  in  at  last?"  cried  the  cheerful 
little  widow.  "  Ami  will  there  be  time  for  Jessie  and  mc  to 
go  down  to  meet  Barbara?" 


the   "firefly"  33 

"  Well — no,"  said  Allan,  with  a  trifle  of  hesitation.  "  The 
Sanda  is  not  in  sight  yet.  But  there's  a  ship  out  there  in 
some  kind  of  trouble ;  and  I'm  going  out  with  Mr.  Stewart, 
in  a  lighter  ;  and  I  was  thinking  —  if  it  was  the  Sanda — 
well,  I  might  take  a  few  things  that  might  be  of  use  to  your 
niece,  for  the  weather  has  been  very  wet  and  rough  lately." 

At  the  mere  suggestion  that  anything  had  happened,  or 
might  be  happening,  to  the  steamer  bringing  her  niece  Bar- 
bara to  Duntroone,  the  widow  became  quite  unnerved  with 
fright;  and  her  anxious  and  irrelevant  questions,  to  which 
there  was  no  possible  answer,  were  nothing  but  a  stumbling- 
block  in  the  way.  It  was  Jess  who  was  the  helpful  one — 
who  instantly  divined  what  was  wanted.  In  the  briefest 
space  of  time  she  had  cleverly  put  together  a  serviceable 
bundle  of  shawls  and  wraps,  to  say  nothing  of  a  pair  of  mit- 
tens, a  paper  bag  of  sweet  biscuits,  and  a  flask  of  some  inno- 
cent cordial.  And  with  these  things  he  was  speeding  away 
— indeed,  he  had  got  well  down  the  staircase — when  at  the 
last  moment  Jess  called  to  him  again  : 

"Allan!     Allan!" 

He  looked  up.  She  came  running  down  the  stone  steps 
(for  the  Macleans  lived  in  a  small  tenement  of  flats),  and  by 
the  uncertain  light  he  saw  that  she  held  something  in  her 
hand. 

"If  you  are  going  out  in  the  steamer," said  she,  "  will  you 
not  put  this  muffler  round  your  neck?  It  may  be  a  coarse 
night  outside  the  bay." 

Well,  he  was  loath  to  offend  this  gentle  half-cousin  of  his  ; 
but  still — still — there  was  something  in  the  man's  nature  that 
drove  him  to  refuse. 

"  No,  thank  you,  Jessie,"  he  said.  "  No,  thank  you,  I  am 
not  afraid  of  the  cold." 

"  Oh,"  said  she,  "  if  you  will  not  take  it  because  you  think 
it  is  one  of  the  things  that  women  wear,  then  that  is  not  very 
friendly.     If  I  were  you,  I  would  not  be  so  proud !" 

The  light  in  the  stairway  was  dim  ;  it  was  the  tone  of  her 
voice  that  told  him  he  had  vexed  her, 

"  Oh,  then,  I  will  take  it,"  he  said,  "  and  maybe  it  will  be 
of  use  to  your  cousin  Barbara."  And  therewith  he  hurried 
off  again,  for  he  was  anxious  not  to  keep  Mr.  Stewart  waiting. 
2* 


34  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

As  he  passed  along,  it  became  apparent  that  the  news  had 
spread  through  the  little  town  of  something  having  hap- 
pened to  the  Sanda — or  perhaps  some  other  vessel — outside  ; 
and  when  he  reached  the  quay  there  was  quite  a  group  of 
folk,  mostly  superannuated  fishermen,  eagerly  discussing  the 
possibilities.  The  steam-lighter  was  ready  to  start ;  as  soon 
as  he  got  on  board,  the  ropes  were  thrown  off,  the  blades  of 
the  screw  began  to  lash  the  water,  and  the  high-bowed,  un- 
wieldy craft  was  soon  moving  crescentwise  out  into  the  bay. 
And  then,  as  she  gathered  speed,  the  dull  orange  points  that 
told  of  the  window-panes  of  Duntroone — along  the  shore  and 
up  on  the  hill-side — gradually  receded ;  and  ahead  of  them 
was  a  great  black  world  of  invisible  mountain  and  sea  and 
sky,  with  ever  and  always  the  solitary  ray  of  Lismore  light- 
house burning  steadfast  and  clear. 

"  If  the  Sandd's  engines  have  broken  down  over  there," 
said  Mr.  Stewart,  "the  mouth  of  the  Sound  of  Mull  is  a  bad 
place.  There  will  be  a  strong  ebb-tide  running,  and  she 
may  drift  just  anywhere." 

"  But  the  rockets  I  saw,"  Allan  made  answer,  "  seemed  all 
to  rise  from  the  same  spot ;  and  as  far  as  I  could  make  out, 
that  would  be  over  near  the  Lady  Rock,  or  somewhere  in 
that  direction." 

"  If  Pattison  has  got  the  Sanda  on  to  the  Lady  Rock," 
observed  the  agent,  "the  sooner  he  sends  in  his  certificate  to 
the  Board  of  Trade  the  better.  But  it's  not  believable  ;  he's 
an  experienced  man." 

The  remarkable  thing,  however,  was  that  though  they  had 
by  this  time  rounded  Kerrara  Point,  there  was  no  sign  of 
any  vessel  anywhere  —  no  repetition  of  those  swift  white 
messengers  that  had  attracted  Allan  Henderson's  attention 
when  he  was  on  the  top  of  the  Gallows  Hill.  The  night,  it 
is  true,  was  pitch-dark  and  squally,  and  there  were  occasional 
gusts  of  rain  living  about;  but  all  the  same  they  were  now 
out  in  the  open,  and  a  ship's  rocket  ought  to  have  been  visi- 
ble a  great  distance  off. 

"Allan,  lad,"  said  Mr.  Stewart,  "  I  hope  you  have  not 
brought  us  on  a  wild-gooae  chase." 

And  Allan  himself  began  to  think  back.  His  eyes  could 
not  have  deceived  him.       He  had  never  been  subject  to  hal- 


the  "firefly"  35 

lucinations,  even  when  he  was  working  hardest  at  his  stud- 
ies— with  scant  fuel  for  the  engine.  And  surely  there  could 
be  no  mistake  about  his  actually  having  beheld  those  long 
shafts  of  silvery  fire  spring  into  the  black  heavens ! 

"  I  think  I  wass  seeing  a  light,"  called  the  man  who  was  peer- 
ing over  the  bows,"  just  about  right  ahead,  and  no  so  far  aweh." 

All  eyes  were  now  eagerly  turned  in  one  direction. 

"  Aye,  there  it  is  ! — there  it  is  !"  called  one  after  the  other, 
as  an  ineffectual  glimmer  flickered  just  above  the  waves,  and 
then  vanished. 

"It's  a  small  boat — most  likely  with  a  message,"  said  Mr. 
Stewart  to  the  owner  'of  the  lighter.  "  Slack  down  your 
speed,  Thomson,  and  let  them  take  their  own  time  about  com- 
ing near." 

The  next  instant  there  was  another  brief  flare  among  the 
unseen  waves  ahead,  but  only  for  an  instant;  the  people  in 
the  rowing  boat  had  presumably  lit  a  bunch  of  paper  to 
warn  the  steamer  of  their  whereabouts,  and  the  wind  had 
directly  blown  out  the  flame.  Nevertheless,  they  at  last  got 
within  hailing  distance — though  with  great  caution,  for  the 
unwieldy  lighter  was  rolling  heavily. 

"  We're  from  the  Sanda"  came  a  hoarse  voice  through  the 
darkness. 

"  Who  are  you  ?" 

"  The  mate  and  two  of  the  hands." 

"  Where  is  she  ?" 

"  On  the  Lady  Rock." 

"Bless  me, how  did  she  get  on  to  the  Lady  Rock?" 

Silence. 

"  No  harm  to  passengers  or  crew  ?" 

"  Not  yet,"  was  the  evasive  answer. 

"  Steamer  damaged  ?" 

"Aye.  I'm  thinking  her  back's  brokken.  The  passengers 
are  ahl  out  on  the  rock." 

"  Well,  we'll  go  over  and  fetch  them  off." 

"  Is  it  Mr.  Stewart  ?" 

"Yes." 

"  Are  we  to  go  on  to  Duntroone  ?" 

"  No.  We'll  want  your  boat ;  and  we'll  want  you  too. 
Come  on  board,  and  we'll  tow  the  boat  astern." 


36  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

It  was  a  difficult  business  on  so  rough  and  dark  a  night; 
for  the  men  in  the  smaller  boat  bad  a  wholesome  fear  of  the 
lurching  and  pitching  of  this  great,  heavy  brute  of  a  thing; 
but  at  last  they  managed  it ;  and  the  Firefly  was  sent  on  again, 
with  such  speed  as  she  was  capable  of  making.  It  turned 
out  that  the  mate  had  no  story  to  tell.  How  the  Sanda  got 
on  to  the  Lady  Rock  was  all  a  mystery.  Or  perhaps  he 
deemed  it  prudent,  in  the  circumstances,  to  hold  his  peace. 

Then,  in  course  of  time,  they  began  to  make  out,  through 
the  mirk  and  the  wet,  certain  minute  dots  of  light,  dim  and 
wavering  in  the  distance,  and  sometimes  almost  disappearing, 
as  a  thick  squall  of  rain  would  drive  by.  But  when  they  drew 
nearer  they  perceived  that  certain  of  these  tremulous  points 
of  fire  appeared  to  be  stationary,  while  others  were  moving 
like  mysterious  will-o'-the-wisps  over  the  black  water ;  and 
they  guessed  that  the  sailors,  furnished  with  lanterns,  were 
perhaps  making  such  small  provision  of  comfort  as  was  pos- 
sible for  the  people  huddled  together  on  the  reef.  And  here 
were  two  other  lights — one  red  and  one  green ;  the  port  and 
starboard  lights  of  the  stranded  ship. 

"  Well,  I'm  sure  !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Stewart.  "  She's  right  on 
the  top  of  the  rock  !" 

"  Aye,"  said  the  mate,  who  was  standing  by  him,  "  she's 
well  up  and  over.  She's  on  this  side — and  lying  nearly  due 
east  and  west." 

"Was  the  man  trying  to  steeple-chase  her?"  the  agent  de- 
manded— but  the  mate  was  discreetly  deaf. 

Meanwhile  the  speed  of  the  steam-lighter  had  been  slowed 
down  until  she  was  doing  little  more  than  holding  her  own 
against  the  wind  and  the  fierce-running  tide — the  owner  hav- 
ing no  kind  of  wish  to  go  nearer  that  dangerous  reef  than  he 
could  help. 

"  We'll  try  the  first  landing  with  your  boat,"  said  Mr. 
Stewart  to  the  mate.  "  Since  you  came  away,  you  should 
know  the  road  back.  And  do  not  take  us  too  close  under  the 
bows  of  the  Sanda,  for  she  might  slip  forward  even  yet." 

"If  she  slips  forward  a  few  yards,"  said  the  mate,  "she'll 
go  straight  to  the  bottom." 

"Ami  will  you  go  with  us,  Allan,  lad?"  continued  Mr. 
Stewart.     "Or  will  you  wait  Oil  hoard  the  lighter?" 


THE    "FIREFLY"  37 

"Well,  I  would  rather  go  with  you,"  the  school-master  said, 
"and  take  an  oar.  There'll  be  somebody  wanted  up  at  the 
bow  anyway." 

And  so,  after  some  delay,  the  boat  was  hauled  alongside  ; 
and  they  jumped  or  scrambled  into  it,  and  got  out  the  oars, 
and  no  doubt  were  glad  enough  to  shove  away  from  the  im- 
mediate neighborhood  of  the  lumbering  craft.  As  yet  no 
figures  were  discernible  on  the  black  reef  ahead  of  them  ;  but 
the  dots  of  yellow  light  were  there — -and  they  were  kept 
briskly  moving;  this  was  the  last  form  of  signalling  left  to 
the  stranded  folk,  after  the  rockets  had  all  been  expended. 

And  now,  even  though  they  were  creeping  in  under  the  lee, 
they  could  hear  the  appalling  roar  of  the  surf  all  around  these 
rocks  ;  and  they  imagined  that  their  coming  would  not  be  un- 
welcome to  the  castaways.  Apparently  for  their  better  guid- 
ance, those  golden  glowworms  that  had  been  scattered  about 
now  seemed  to  converge ;  they  appeared  to  be  coming  close 
down  to  the  water;  and  yet  they  were  kept  moving,  as  if  to 
indicate  where  some  creek  had  been  discovered  ;  while  the 
man  at  the  bow  of  the  boat,  as  she  got  closer  and  closer,  from 
time  to  time  called  aft  to  his  companions : 

"  No  so  hard,  Hughie  !  Back-watter,  man  !  Back-watter, 
both  of  you  !     No — you  pull  a  stroke,  Mr.  Henderson  !" 

"  Aye,  aye,  in  here — in  here  !"  shouted  the  voices  from  the 
rock — and  the  glowworms  were  clustered  together  now,  shed- 
ding a  dull  glare  on  the  sea-weed  and  on  the  dark  water  and 
on  a  small  group  of  phantasmal  figures. 

Well,  they  were  willing  hands  that  were  laid  on  the  gun- 
wale of  the  boat,  when  the  swirl  of  an  eddying  wave  lifted  her 
near  enough  to  be  caught ;  and  up  she  went  on  the  slippery 
sea-weed,  until  she  was  found  to  be  secure  ;  then  the  rescuers 
stepped  out,  and  Allan  got  hold  of  his  bundle.  It  was  the 
strangest  sight  that  met  his  eyes.  The  black  reef ;  the  mas- 
sive black  hull  of  the  steamer — chiefly  indicated  by  the  ob- 
scure illumination  still  remaining  in  the  ports  of  the  saloon 
and  fore-cabin  ;  the  black  bars  of  the  beacon,  that  rose  away 
up  into  the  pitchy  skies ;  the  black  figures  that  stood  about 
in  detached  groups,  or  stepped  warily  forward  through  the 
sea-weed  to  hear  what  the  new-comers  proposed  to  do ;  all 
these  were  surrounded  by  a  wavering,  uncertain,  half-impen- 


38  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

etrable  gloom,  for  the  air  was  thick  with  spray  and  rain,  and 
the  wind  was  blowing  hard.  Presently,  however,  one  or  two 
of  the  lamps  were  brought  along,  and  the  sombre  phantoms 
began  to  take  more  recognizable  shape.  Here,  for  example, 
was  Long  Lauchie  Maclntyre,  contentedly  seated  in  a  pool  of 
water,  and  fumbling  about  his  pockets  in  search  of  his  pipe ; 
while  the  man  who  stood  by  him  (it  was  Red  Murdoch,  but 
he  was  not  of  Allan's  acquaintance)  was  gazing  out  seaward, 
with  a  hand  held  over  one  of  his  eyes,  doubtless  in  the  hope 
of  reducing  to  their  real  number  the  sailing  lights  of  the  res- 
cuing  steamer.  But  the  young  girl  from  Kilree? — how  was 
he  to  discover  which  she  was  ? — for  the  women  were  cowering 
away  from  the  blast,  their  faces  mostly  hidden. 

"  Is  there  one  Barbara  Maclean  ?"  he  made  bold  to  ask. 

"  I  am  here,"  said  one  of  those  dark  figures,  in  a  timid  and 
tearful  voice  ;  and  at  once  he  went  up  to  her. 

"  There's  a  few  things  here  that  your  aunt  and  your  cousin 
have  sent  out  to  you,"  said  he,  "and  I  am  sure  you  will  be 
glad  of  them,  for  the  night  is  so  wet.  Yes,  indeed,  now,"  he 
went  on,  "  you  must  take  off  your  shawl,  and  I  will  put  it  over 
my  arm — and  here  is  a  dry  one.  And  here  is  a  muffler  to  go 
round  your  neck,  and  a  pair  of  mittens  for  your  hands.  For 
you  must  not  think  they  were  forgetting  you — neither  Mrs. 
Maclean  nor  Jessie  would  be  likely  to  do  that." 

"  I  am  far  aweh  from  my  own  home,"  the  girl  said,  with  a 
sob. 

"Oh  yes,  yes,"  said  he,  in  a  kindly  fashion,  "but  you  are 
going  to  another  home,  and  a  very  friendly  home.  They  could 
not  come  out  to  you  ;  but  they  let  me  bring  these  things  out 
to  you  ;  and  I  am  glad  to  find  that  matters  are  no  worse.  For 
we  will  soon  have  you  on  board  the  lighter  now,  and  you  will 
be  quite  safe." 

In  common  circumstances  he  was  inordinately  shy  with 
women  ;  but  this  poor  creature  was  quite  supine  and  helpless; 
and  in  her  eyes — those  beautiful  Highland  eyes — large,  dark 
blue,  with  raven-black  lashes — there  were  piteous  tears.  He 
treated  her  as  if  she  were  a  child.  By  the  aid  of  the  nearest 
lamp,  he  got  out  these  dry  wraps,  and  substituted  them  for 
her  clinging  wet  shawl  ;  he  made  her  put  the  muffler  round 
her  neck,  and  the  mittens  on  her  bauds ;  and  then  he  said  : 


# 


THE  "firefly"  39 

"  Now  maybe  we  will  get  away  in  the  next  boat — or  at  least 
you  will.  And  mind  your  footing.  Do  not  move  on  the  sea- 
weed. Do  not  move  until  you  find  that  your  feet  are  on  the 
limpets."  As  if  it  were  necessary  to  teach  a  West  Highland 
girl  how  to  cross  a  slippery  rock ! 

However,  they  struggled  along  and  reached  the  water's 
edge,  and,  by  favor  of  Mr.  Stewart,  Allan  was  allowed  to  ac- 
company his  half-cousin,  or  quarter-cousin,  in  the  next  boat 
returning  to  the  Firefly.  He  talked  to  her  a  little,  to  give 
her  courage.  He  assisted  her  to  get  into  the  plunging  and 
rolling  lighter ;  and  there  he  guided  her  aft,  and  procured 
for  her  a  warm  and  comfortable  seat  by  the  boiler,  himself 
standing  by  her  side,  so  as  not  to  take  up  room.  And  then 
he  would  have  her  partake  of  the  little  delicacies  that  Jess 
Maclean  had  sent  out  for  her ;  but  she  only  shook  her  head ; 
and  he  was  not  importunate. 

Of  a  sudden  she  looked  up  timorously. 

"  Have  you  the  Gaelic  V  she  asked. 

"  Indeed  I  have  !"  said  he,  answering  her  in  that  tongue. 

Instantly  a  grateful  light  leaped  to  her  eyes ;  and  at  the 
same  moment,  somehow  or  other,  she  put  out  her  hand,  and 
touched  his  hand,  as  if  thereby  she  was  recognizing  some 
bond  or  current  of  sympathy  between  them.  It  was  a  trifling 
little  action,  perhaps  quite  involuntary  and  inadvertent,  and 
meaning  nothing  at  all ;  but  it  thrilled  him  strangely. 

"  It  is  my  thanks  to  you,"  said  she,  now  speaking  in  Gae- 
lic— and  she  had  a  shy  and  softly  modulated  voice.  "  It's 
not  every  one  that  would  be  so  kind  to  a  stranger." 

"  But  you  are  no  stranger,"  said  the  young  school-master, 
in  an  encouraging  way.  "  For  it  is  many  a  time  I  have  heard 
the  Macleans  speak  of  you ;  and  besides,  I  am  myself  a  rela- 
tive of  yours,  though  not  of  the  same  name." 

And  thereupon,  to  beguile  the  weary  time  of  waiting,  he 
began  and  gave  her  a  few  particulars  about  himself,  and 
about  his  relations  with  the  Macleans,  and  about  their  ways 
and  modes  of  life.  She  did  not  respond  much  ;  but  she 
mutely  regarded  him  now  and  again.  Indeed,  it  seemed  as 
if  it  was  not  necessary  for  her  to  answer  him  ;  her  eyes  did 
all  that ;  they  were  the  most  wonderful  eyes — it  was  not 
merely  that  they  were  beautiful  with  a  mystic  and  pathetic 


40  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

beauty,  but  they  appeared  capable  of  saying  anything,  with- 
out a  word  spoken  from  her  lips.  For  the  most  part,  how- 
ever, her  expression  was  grave  and  diffident,  as  she  looked 
at  him  from  time  to  time,  and  listened. 

And  at  last  all  the  passengers — the  captain,  mate,  and  most 
of  the  crew  were  remaining  by  the  stranded  steamer — had 
been  rescued  from  their  perilous  position  and  conveyed  on 
board  the  Firefly  ;  the  blades  of  the  screw  began  to  slash 
into  the  tumbling  waves,  and  the  vessel  moved  slowly  for- 
ward. No  further  adventure  befell  them  until  they  were 
all  safely  landed  on  Duntroone  quay — a  sorely  wet  and  be- 
draggled little  assemblage ;  and  although  it  was  now  about 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  there  were  plenty  of  anxious 
friends  and  relatives  waiting  to  receive  and  welcome  them. 
And  Mrs.  Maclean  and  Jess  would  fain  have  had  Allan  Hen- 
derson come  into  the  house  and  sit  down  with  them  at  the 
cheerful  and  hospitable  board  that  had  been  prepared  for  the 
entertainment  of  their  cousin  from  the  outer  isles.  But  he 
refused.  For  some  time  back  he  had  been  drenched  to  the 
skin ;  the  only  thing  now  for  him  was  to  speed  away  home 
and  get  to  bed.  As  for  the  drying  of  his  clothes — well,  they 
would  have  to  take  their  chance  ;  there  was  no  means  of 
making  up  a  fire  at  this  hour  in  these  poor  lodgings. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE    DAY    AFTER 

Next  morning  opened  tranquil  and  serene  ;  a  few  flakes 
of  saffron  cloud  that  hung  high  in  the  heavens  hardly  moved 
through  the  clear  expanse.  The  mists  were  slowly  rising 
from  Mull  and  Morven,  the  hill-sides  revealing  themselves 
in  hues  of  ethereal  rose-gray,  the  snow-sprinkled  peaks  not 
yet  visible.  From  the  eastern  skies,  just  over  the  early 
smoke  of  Duntroone,  the  golden  light  of  the  dawn  went 
level  across  the  bay,  and  touched  the  tall  spars  and  the  hulls 
of  the  vessels  moored  at  Ardentrive,  and  shone  warm  along 
the  olive-green  slopes  of  Kerrara  ;  while  a  small  red-sailed 
boat,  coming  home  from  the  cod-fishing,  made  its  appearance 
at  the  point,  creeping  along  through  the  steel-blue  rippling 
sea. 

And  perhaps  it  was  to  refresh  his  eyes  with  these  more 
beautiful  colors,  after  the  black  visions  of  the  night — or  per- 
haps it  was,  more  practically,  to  see  what  the  sun  could  do 
in  the  way  of  drying  his  outer  garments — that  Allan  Hen- 
derson, before  beginning  his  daily  round  in  the  Board  School, 
strolled  away  round  by  the  quays,  and  then  made  up  for  his 
favorite  plateau  on  the  top  of  the  Gallows  Hill.  And  truly 
it  was  a  very  different  scene  that  now  met  his  eyes.  Last 
night  the  solitary  and  commanding  feature  in  all  the  form- 
less gloom  was  the  bold  and  steady  glare  of  Lismore  light- 
house ;  now  Lismore  light-house  was  an  insignificant  little 
gray  object,  away  at  the  end  of  the  long,  low,  green  island ; 
while  the  important  things  were  the  ranges  of  the  mountains, 
velvet-soft  in  their  dappled  colors,  with  faint  cloud-shadows 
here  and  there — the  wide  calm  spaces  of  the  sea,  trembling 
in  pale  and  liquid  azure,  with  one  vivid  red  spot  of  a  painted 
beacon  at  Kerrara  Point — the  ivied  castle  on  its  picturesque 
rock — the  wintry  woods  of   green  pine  and  brown  larch — ■ 


42  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

the  sunlight  glinting  cheerfully  on  this  or  that  window  in  the 
town — the  broad  sweep  of  the  bay,  with  a  scarlet-funnelled 
steamer  coming  slowly  through  the  blue,  from  this  lofty 
pinnacle  looking  a  mere  mite  of  a  thing,  with  a  touch  of 
white  at  its  bows.  A  fair  picture  —  shining,  reposeful,  be- 
nign ;  no  lurid  and  ghastly  vision  of  the  night,  with  black 
phantasms  huddled  together  on  a  cruel  rock,  the  sombre 
heavens  hurling  wind  and  rain  at  them,  the  roar  and  whirl 
of  the  unseen  surge  all  around  them. 

Yet  it  was  to  that  darker  vision,  and  to  the  incidents  con- 
nected with  it,  that  his  mind  would  return,  with  a  singular 
and  incomprehensible  fascination.  He  gazed  abroad  upon 
this  wide-stretching  and  placid  panorama  with  eyes  that  be- 
held not.  A  new  element — a  perturbing  element — had  en- 
tered into  his  existence  ;  something  he  did  not  understand  ; 
something  nevertheless  powerful  enough  to  thrust  into  the 
background  all  his  ordinary  hopes  and  ambitions  and  anx- 
ieties, his  restless  speculations,  his  heroic  or  despondent 
forecasts  as  to  the  future.  What  was  this  new  force,  then, 
that  threatened  to  upset  the  whole  tenor  of  his  life — dis- 
tracted as  that  had  already  sufficiently  been  ?  He  knew  not ; 
or  he  would  not  confess ;  or  he  feared  to  think.  Happily  he 
could  turn  his  back  on  the  enigma ;  and  was  even  compelled 
to  do  so ;  for  yonder  in  the  town,  overlooking  the  squalid 
play-ground,  stood  the  dingy  gray  building  where  his  day's 
labor  was  shortly  to  begin.  And  so,  with  his  brows  knit, 
and  his  head  thrown  a  little  farther  forward  than  usual,  the 
school-master  strode  away  down  from  this  wooded  hill ;  and 
erelong,  in  that  depressing  and  murmuring  room,  he  had  once 
more  taken  up  his  unloved  toil. 

It  was  some  hours  thereafter,  it  was  about  mid-day,  that 
Lauchie  Maclntyre  awoke  to  find  himself  in  a  disused  hay- 
loft attached  to  the  distillery.  How  he  had  come  thither  on 
the  preceding  aight  he  knew  not,  nor  was  there  any  one  to 
tell  him.  But  that  was  a  minor  question  ;  for  it  is  to  he 
imagined  that  as  the  shoemaker  now  sat  up  and  looked  about 
him,  there  was  no  more  sick  and  penitent  man,  bodily  and 
mentally  Bick  and  BOrry,  in  all  the  three  kingdoms.  Where 
had  he  been?— what  had  he  done? — what  money  had  he 
spent?— nay,  what  had  become  of  his  companion,  Red  Mm- 


THE    DAY    AFTER  43 

doch?  Red  Murdoch,  who  ought  to  have  gone  ashore  at 
Tobermory,  but  would  come  on  to  Salen  ;  and  again,  after 
Salen — well,  after  Salen  it  was  difficult  to  say  anything  about 
Red  Murdoch  ;  he  seemed  to  have  vanished  away  in  a  mys- 
terious manner.  Then  there  was  the  young  girl,  Barbara 
Maclean — and  here  Long  Lauchie's  conscience  became  filled 
with  a  vague  alarm — what  had  become  of  her  ? — what  had 
he  done  with  her? — whither  had  she,  too,  disappeared  ?  He 
had  a  dim  recollection  of  her  at  some  point  in  the  Sound  of 
Mull — for  the  steward  had  come  to  ask  about  some  tea  for 
her ;  perhaps,  indeed,  the  steward  had  looked  after  her  when 
the  Sanda  arrived  at  Duntroone  ?  All  the  same,  as  these 
remorseful  pangs  kept  urging  him,  it  would  be  better  for 
him  to  go  along  to  Mrs.  Maclean's,  just  to  see  how  the  land 
might  lie. 

He  rose  to  his  feet  with  a  prolonged  sigh  that  was  almost 
a  groan ;  and,  with  his  ten  trembling  fingers  acting  as  an  in- 
effectual brush,  he  tried  to  remove  from  his  sodden  garments 
the  too  evident  traces  of  his  having  passed  the  night  on  an 
unswept  floor.  Then  he  left  the  loft,  and  with  shaky  knees 
descended  the  flight  of  wooden  steps — fortunately  there  was 
no  one  about.  Finally,  summoning  to  him  such  air  of  confi- 
dence as  he  could  command,  he  passed  along  the  main  street 
until  lie  came  to  Mrs.  Maclean's  shop,  which  he  entered. 

"  I  hope  you  are  very  well  the  day,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  said  he, 
rather  nervously. 

"  Oh  yes,  indeed,"  said  the  widow,  with  her  accustomed 
cheerfulness.  "  And  you  yourself  ?  But  you  are  not  looking 
quite  so  well.     Come  away  in  and  sit  down — " 

"  No,  no,  thank  you,"  said  he,  shrinking  back  from  the  pos- 
sibility of  meeting  strangers. 

"  There's  no  one  in,"  said  she.  "  Not  even  Jessie — Jessie 
has  gone  over  to  the  house." 

Thus  assured,  he  stepped  into  the  little  parlor,  and  she 
followed  him,  leaving  the  door  a  bit  open,  in  case  a  customer 
should  appear. 

"  It's  little  wonder  you  should  be  looking  not  quite  so  well," 
she  continued,  "  after  such  a  night  as  last  night.  And  you'll 
just  take  a  little  drop  of  something."  With  which  she  went 
to  the  cupboard. 


44  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

Now  the  very  soul  of  Lauchie  was  crying  aloud  and  in  an- 
guish for  a  glass  of  whiskey  ;  but  sternly  he  held  up  his  hand. 

"  No,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  said  he,  "  I'll  no  touch  it.  1  wouldna 
touch  a  drop.  It's  a  terrible  bad  thing,  whiskey.  It's  the 
very  curse  and  ruin  of  the  kintry.  If  I  was  having  my  way, 
I  would  shut  up  every  public-house  in  the  kingdom ;  aye,  and 
I  would  have  every  distiller  put  into  djile." 

All  the  same,  she  put  the  decanter  and  the  glass  on  the 
table,  though  she  did  not  press  him  further. 

"  And  have  you  got  your  things  come  ashore  from  the 
wreck  ?"  she  asked. 

He  looked  up,  in  a  dazed  and  yet  cautiously  inquiring 
manner. 

"  Aye  ;  the  wreck  ?"  he  said. 

Had  there  been  a  wreck,  then  ?  And  was  that  the  cause 
of  Barbara  Maclean's  vanishing  into  the  unknown  ?  But  here 
was  her  aunt  sitting  quite  sprightly  and  content !  And  him- 
self ?  if  there  had  been  a  wreck,  how  was  he  come  safely 
here  ? 

"  It  must  have  been  a  fearful  time  for  you,"  the  widow 
continued,  unheeding.  "  And  how  the  captain  managed  to 
put  the  Sanda  on  to  the  Lady  Rock  just  passes  comprehen- 
sion ;  that's  what  every  one  is  saying — " 

"  Was  the  Sanda  on  a  rock  ?"  he  demanded,  in  a  bewil- 
dered fashion. 

Happily  she  mistook  the.  question. 

"  Oh  yes,  she's  on  the  rock  still — the  high  tide  has  not 
moved  her.  But  who  knows  how  long  she'll  be  there,  if  any 
rough  weather  comes?  And  they're  saying  that  if  she  had 
struck  the  rock  a  few  yards  to  the  left,  she  would  not  have 
held  at  all,  but  would  have  gone  straight  to  the  bottom.  I 
cannot  make  it  out,  for  there  was  no  such  dreadful  bad 
weather.  It  was  bad  weather  enough,"  continued  the  widow, 
"that  you  had  out  in  the  west,  so  I  am  hearing;  and  a  bad 
day  fur  the  funeral — with  such  a  long  way  from  the  house  to 
t  In-  seminary." 

"Oh  yes,  indeed,"  said  the  shoemaker,  quickly,  for  here 
he  was  on  firmer  ground.  "Terrible  bad  weather;  aw,  terri- 
ble bad  weather;  and  as  you  say,  Mrs.  Maclean,  a  long  way 
from  the  house  to  the  cemetery." 


THE     DAY    AFTER  45 

A  customer  entered  the  shop,  and  Mrs.  Maclean  left  the 
parlor.  The  moment  her  back  was  turned,  Long  Lauchie, 
overcome  by  the  tragic  temptation  of  the  opportunity,  hastily 
seized  the  decanter,  with  tremulous  fingers  poured  out  a  glass 
of  whiskey,  and  gulped  it  down.  When  she  returned  he  was 
beginning  to  feel  a  bit  reassured ;  if  only  now  he  could  find 
out  what  had  become  of  the  young  lass  Barbara. 

"  Mrs.  Maclean,"  said  he,  tentatively,  "  it  was  a  bad  night 
for  a  wreck,  was  it  not  ?  very  wet  and  uncomfortable — indeed, 
I'm  feeling  my  clothes  a  wee  thing  damp  even  now." 

"  And  will  you  not  take  a  drop  of  the  whiskey,  then,  Lauch- 
lan  ?"  said  the  widow,  considerately. 

"  Aw,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  said  the  shoemaker,  with  great  solem- 
nity, "  that  you  could  propose  such  a  thing,  and  me  just  tell- 
ing you  that  whiskey  was  the  curse  of  the  kintry  !  You  have 
a  bad  opinion  of  me  if  you  think  I  would  be  touching  any 
such  thing !  As  sure's  death,  I  would  sooner  walk  barefoot 
to  the  top  of  Ben  Cruachan  than  drink  a  glass  of  whiskey. 
But  as  I  was  saying,  it  was  a  coarse  night — and — and  the 
wreck — aye,  at  the  wreck,  now — that  young  lass,  your  niece — 
I  hope  she  had  plenty  round  her — " 

"Oh,  well,  indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Maclean,  "the  bundle  that 
Allan  Henderson,  the  school-master,  took  out  to  her  was  use- 
ful enough,  no  doubt.  And  it  was  a  friendly  thing  of  the  lad 
to  do,  seeing  that  she  was  a  stranger  to  him.  Oh  yes,  he  is 
a  good  lad,  he  is  a  kind-hearted  lad,  is  Allan,  though  he  is 
very  stiff-necked  and  proud  and  ill  to  manage  at  times.  And 
when  he  brought  her  ashore  last  night — or  rather  this  morn- 
ing— and  when  he  brought  her  up  to  the  house,  he  would  not 
come  in — no — the  stubborn  chiel  that  he  is! — but  he  half 
promised  to  look  in  and  see  us  this  evening." 

Here,  indeed,  was  welcome  news  ;  he  began  to  feel  the 
world  more  solid  beneath  his  feet. 

"  Well,  it's  very  glad  I  am  to  hear  that  your  niece  has  not 
suffered  anything  from  the  shipwreck,"  Lauchie  ventured  to 
say,  as  he  rose  to  take  his  departure.  "  I  was  looking  after 
her  as  well  as  I  could — aye — but  when  there  is  a  wreck — a 
wreck  is  a  bad  thing — a  wreck  is  a  terrible  bad  thing — a  man 
would  forget  what  his  own  brother  was  like  when  there's  so 
many  running  backward  and  forward  and  makkin'  a  noise. 


46  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

And  now  I  must  be  going  home,  for  they'll  be  wondering  at 
not  seeing  me  ahl  this  time." 

It  was  an  unfortunate  admission. 

"  Were  you  not  home  last  night,  Lauchlan  ?"  the  widow 
said,  her  eyes  attracted  to  his  clothes,  which  still  showed 
traces  of  the  hay-loft. 

He  hesitated. 

"  Well,  well — not  exactly,"  said  he.  "  I  had  to  pass  the 
night  with  a  friend.  He  was  very  seeck ;  and  he  wanted  me 
to  sit  up  with  him.     And  I  was  sitting  up  with  him." 

She  held  the  door  open  for  him  to  pass. 

"  You'll  not  take  a  dram  ?"  said  she,  finally. 

"  No,  no,"  he  made  answer,  shaking  his  head.  "  No.  It 
would  be  a  bad  encouragement  for  ithers.  There's  no  sich 
things  as  that  for  me."  And  therewithal  he  said  good-bye, 
and  left  the  shop,  and  got  out  into  the  open  day,  his  eyes 
blinking  at  the  stronger  light.    And  perhaps  he  did  go  home. 

Meanwhile  Jess,  in  her  gentle  and  almost  motherly  way, 
had  taken  under  her  charge  the  solitary  creature  who  had 
been  confided  to  their  care ;  and  very  glad  was  she  to  find 
that  her  cousin  had  suffered  but  little  from  her  recent  expe- 
riences; no  doubt  the  island-nurtured  frame  of  the  girl  was 
pretty  well  used  to  cold  and  wet  and  considerable  spells  of 
fasting.  Moreover,  Barbara  Maclean  did  not  at  all  appear  to 
be  too  grievously  overwhelmed  by  her  bereavement ;  she  hard- 
ly ever  referred  to  her  father  or  the  funeral  ;  at  the  present 
moment,  in  truth,  she  seemed  mostly  concerned  about  the 
wooden  chest,  which  contained  all  her  little  belongings,  and 
which  had  been  left  on  board  the  Sanda. 

"  But  you  are  sure  to  get  it  to-day,  Barbara,"  Jess  said,  in* 
her  persuasive  tones.     "The  lighter  is  bringing  everything 
ashore  from  the  wreck,  and  they  will  send  your  box  up  to 
you.     And  in  the  mean  time  here  are  my  things,  and  you  are 
welcome  to  choose  just  whatever  you  like." 

The  large,  dark  blue,  pathetic  eyes  of  the  girl  had  been 
drawn  1<>  the  two  white  strips  that  terminated  Jess's  sleeves. 

"  Would  you  lend  me  a  pair  of  culls  like  them?"  said  she, 
rather  slowly,  for  her  English  was  not  fluent.  "I  was  never 
seeing  BUCh  beautiful  ironing.  And  do  you  wear  culls  like 
that  all  through  the  week,  and  every  day  in  the  week?" 


THE    DAY    AFTER  47 

"  Why  not  V  said  Jess,  with  a  laugh.  ■  "  I  iron  them  my- 
self. But  I  will  give  you  a  far  nicer  pair  of  cuffs  than  these, 
Barbara  ;  yes,  and  a  set  of  tortoise-shell  sleeve-links.  For, 
you  see,  Allan  Henderson,  that  brought  you  home  last  night, 
he  is  coming  in  this  evening,  and  perhaps  Mr.  McFadyen,  a 
friend  of  ours,  as  well  ;  and  you  must  be  looking  very  nice 
and  smart.  And  I  am  sure  you  will  give  a  word  of  thanks  to 
Allan  for  his  kindness  of  last  night.  He  is  rather  a  shy  and 
proud  and  sensitive  lad,  and  not  caring  to  say  much  for  him- 
self before  strangers  ;  and  a  word  of  thanks  would  please 
him  ;  I  am  sure  of  that.  Mind  this,  Barbara,  it  is  not  every 
one  that  Mr.  Stewart  would  have  allowed  to  go  out  with  him 
in  the  lighter ;  so  you  were  fortunate  to  have  some  one  to 
look  after  you  on  such  a  night." 

For  a  second  the  beautiful  eyes  of  the  girl — that  seemed  to 
say  so  much,  even  when  they  were  really  saying  nothing  at  all 
— were  raised  to  her  companion's  face  ;  but  presently  she  had 
withdrawn  them,  inattentive. 

"  Will  you  be  going  out  now,  Jessie  ?"  said  she.  "  And 
will  you  walk  down  to  the  quay,  until  I  see  if  my  box  is  come 
over  from  the  wreck  ?" 

Jess  at  once  and  good-naturedly  assented ;  they  made  such 
trifling  preparations  as  were  necessary,  and  in  a  short  space 
of  time  the  two  cousins  were  passing  along  the  main  street  of 
Duntroone. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A    CEILIDH 

Eventually  the  box  was  found  and  sent  along  to  the 
house,  and  on  the  return  of  the  two  girls  it  was  opened, 
and  Jess  Maclean  was  somewhat  diffidently  invited  to  look 
after  her  cousin's  small  stock  of  millinery  treasures.  These 
were  not  sumptuous  ;  for  the  most  part  they  had  been  pro- 
cured at  the  solitary  "  merchant's  "  shop  in  Kilree,  where 
feminine  finery  had  to  be  sought  for  amidst  a  heterogeneous 
display  of  brown  soap,  candles,  figs,  sweetmeats,  patent  starch, 
paraffine  lamps,  and  the  like  ;  they  had  seen  a  good  deal  of 
weather  out  there  in  the  west ;  and  now,  as  Barbara  produced 
them  for  inspection,  it  was  with  a  growing  sense  of  disap- 
pointment. 

"  Everything  you  have  seems  so  neat  and  clean  and  so  stiff- 
ly ironed,"  she  said  to  her  cousin,  almost  resentfully. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Jess,  with  the  utmost  good  -  nature, 
"  you  must  just  take  any  of  my  things  that  are  of  use  to 
you.  •  And  especially  when  there  are  visitors  coming  to  the 
house — " 

"  They  will  be  thinking  I  should  be  in  mourning,"  said  Bar- 
bara. 

"And  I  am  sure  they  will  think  nothing  of  the  kind!"  re- 
sponded Jess.  "  They  know,  as  the  rest  of  us  know,  that  it 
is  very  easy  for  rich  people  to  buy  black  silks  and  black  bon- 
nets and  things  of  that  kind  ;  but  it  is  not  so  easy  for  poorer 
people;  and  where  could  any  one  get  mourning  at  Knocka- 
lanish  ?  As  for  Allan  Henderson,  the  school-master,"  Jess 
went  on,  with  a  demure  laugh,  "  it  is  of  little  consequence 
what  you  wear.  lie  would  never  see  it.  If  you  were  dressed 
as  a  beggar  in  the  streets,  or  like  the  Queen  on  her  throne,  he 
would  not  know  the  difference.  When  he  fixes  those  great 
eyes  of  his  on  you — like  burning  coals — it  isn't  your  dress  he 


A    CEILIDH  49 

is  heeding ;  he  is  trying  to  understand  what  you  are  thinking 
— that  is  all  he  cares  about." 

"  You  talk  a  good  deal  about  the  school-master,  Jessie,"  ob- 
served Barbara. 

Jess  Maclean  flushed  quickly,  and  turned  her  head  away ; 
but  she  betrayed  no  anger. 

"  I  think  that  every  one  will  be  talking  of  him,"  said  she, 
quietly,  "  before  many  years  are  over." 

And  thus  it  was  with  Jessie's  help,  and  with  the  loan  of  a 
few  trifling  articles  of  adornment,  that  the  Highland  cousin 
was  got  ready  for  the  evening,  and  very  smart  and  trim  and 
effective  she  looked.  She  was,  indeed,  a  beautiful  creature, 
quite  apart  from  those  wonderful,  mysterious,  appealing  eyes  ; 
her  features  were  refined,  and  even  distinguished;  she  had  the 
fresh,  clear,  healthily  tinted  complexion  that  not  unfrequently 
in  the  western  isles  is  found  in  conjunction  with  raven-black 
hair;  and  when  she  moved,  her  step  was  graceful.  Her  hands, 
it  is  true,  bore  evidence  of  rough  kitchen-work ;  but  she  did 
not  seem  conscious  of  this  defect ;  nay,  she  appeared  rather 
inclined  to  put  them  forward  a  little,  so  that  she  could  better 
admire  the  pair  of  extremely  pretty  cuffs  and  the  tortoise-shell 
links  that  Jess  had  given  her. 

Of  the  two  visitors  the  first  to  arrive  was  Mr.  Peter  McFadyen, 
who,  for  a  second  or  so,  on  being  introduced  to  the  stranger, 
was  somewhat  disconcerted  and  taken  aback.  For  this  was 
not  at  all  the  mere  crofter's  lass  he  had  expected  to  meet — 
this  young  lady  in  becoming  attire,  whose  manner,  if  shy  and 
reserved,  at  least  betrayed  no  great  embarrassment.  But 
Peter  prided  himself  on  being  a  man  of  the  world ;  he  had 
soon  recovered  his  self-confidence ;  he  would  hear  from  her- 
self further  details  of  the  shipwreck ;  and  finding  that  she 
was  somewhat  silent — the  conversation  being  now  in  English 
— he  proceeded  to  give  authoritative  views  on  tides,  currents, 
beacons,  and  the  proper  navigation  of  Duntroone  Harbor,  yet 
with  a  touch  of  jocosity  now  and  again,  to  show  his  lightness 
of  heart.  Barbara  Maclean  listened  mutely,  and  sometimes 
she  looked  at  her  cuffs. 

Then  the  blithe  little  widow  appeared,  the  shop  having 
been  shut ;  and  she  was  almost  immediately  followed  by  the 
young  school-master,  who,  after  having  gravely  greeted  these 
3 


50  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

friends,  seemed  in  a  measure  disposed  to  keep  away  from 
this  newly  found  half-cousin  of  his.  He  sat  somewhat  re- 
moved ;  and  if  by  chance,  or  by  some  subtle  instinct,  his 
eyes  were  raised  to  regard  the  face  of  the  girl,  they  were  al- 
most instantly  withdrawn,  as  if  he  were  afraid.  Of  course 
this  was  Mr.  McFadyen's  opportunity.  With  these  women- 
folk to  impress,  he  was  called  upon  for  display  ;  he  was  de- 
termined to  shine;  he  would  show  them  he  could  talk  about 
other  matters  than  golf.  And  now — while  Mrs.  Maclean  was 
stirring  up  the  fire  to  briskness,  and  Jess  was  laying  the 
snow-white  table-cloth — it  was  the  marvels  of  modern  science 
that  he  had  got  on  to;  and  in  particular  he  was  informing 
them — as  if  the  illustration  were  his  own — of  the  astron- 
omers having  brought  within  their  ken  stars  so  distant  that 
if  on  the  day  of  the  battle  of  Waterloo  news  of  the  victory 
could  have  been  despatched  to  one  of  these  suns,  the  tele- 
gram would  not  even  now  have  arrived. 

"  Aye,  and  that's  not  all !"  he  exclaimed — as  a  premonitory 
odor  of  minced  collops  and  onions  wandered  in  from  the 
kitchen.  "  They're  saying  there's  no  end — no  end  to  the 
universe — you  might  go  on  for  ever  and  ever  and  only  come 
to  more  worlds  and  more  worlds,  and  more  space  and  more 
space  —  infinite  space  —  infinite.  Just  think  of  it  —  isn't  it 
terrible  to  realize — " 

"  But  you  can't  realize  it,"  said  Allan,  with  a  touch  of  his 
scornful  impatience. 

"  You  can't  what  ?"  demanded  the  town-councillor. 

"It  is  unthinkable," said  the  school-master,  briefly.  ''The 
mind  cannot  conceive  the  idea  of  infinite  space." 

"Ah?"  said  Mr.  McFadyen,  with  an  inquiring  glance. 
"Ah?  You've  got  to  imagine  a  boundary?  You  can't  help 
thinking  of  a  boundary  ?     Is  that  it?" 

"Yes;  but  you're  no  further  forward  that  way  cither," 
said  the  younger  man,  imperturbably.  "  For  you  can't  im- 
agine ;i  final  boundary;  if  you  think  of  a  boundary  yon  must 
think  of  something  outside  the  boundary;  you  build  a  wall, 
I  Mil  there  must  be  something  outside  the  wall  as  well  as  in. 
An. I  bo  ii  '_f,"'s  on;  and  the  mischief  is  that  you  can  neither 
think  <>f   spire  having   an   end  nor  vet   of  its  being  end- 


A    CEILIDH  51 

Peter  looked  a  little  dazed — and  also  suspicious  ;  but  he 
solved  the  difficulty  by  breaking  into  a  loud  laugh. 

"  Is  that  metapheesics  ?"  he  cried.  "  Is  that  raetapheesics, 
Allan  ?  Dod,  man,  you're  a  clever  chiel ;  and  the  School 
Board  '11  have  to  be  raising  your  salary  !  An  annual  incre- 
ment of  five  pounds  is  no  half  enough." 

"  I'm  sure  I'm  not  caring  how  many  worlds  there  are," 
said  the  contented  little  widow,  as  she  brought  the  cruet- 
•stand  and  put  it  on  the  table.  "  This  is  the  only  one  that's 
handy  ;  and  I  doubt  whether  a  better  one  ever  was  made. 
Draw  in  your  chair,  Barbara,  my  lass ;  and  you,  Allan  ;  and 
you,  Mr.  McFadyen.  It  is  well  for  us  that  we  are  under  a 
roof,  and  with  a  good  fire,  and  not  out  on  the  Lady  Rock." 

Minced  collops  and  onions,  a  dish  of  spinach  garnished 
with  boiled  eggs,  and  bottled  stout — these  were  the  materials 
of  the  repast ;  and  a  bountiful  feast  it  must  have  appeared 
in  the  eyes  of  the  young  lass  from  the  Knockalanish  croft. 
The  gay  little  widow  proved  a  pertinacious  hostess ;  she 
would  take  no  refusals,  would  make  no  concessions  to  shame- 
facedness.  "  What's  good  for  the  Jura  factor  will  do  no 
harm  to  Fleecy  ATP/iail"  she  said,  as  she  helped  herself  and 
others,  with  here  a  rallying  word,  and  there  a  friendly  re- 
monstrance. Indeed,  this  small  party  that  had  been  brought 
together  to  give  Barbara  Maclean  a  welcome  on  her  home- 
coming performed  its  duty  well ;  surely  she  must  have  per- 
ceived that  it  was  not  among  strangers  she  had  fallen ;  only 
the  young  school-master  remained  somewhat  aloof  and  re- 
served, and  of  him  she  did  not  take  much  notice.  Then 
again,  when  Mrs.  Maclean,  in  her  frank  and  off-hand  way, 
came  to  discuss  the  girl's  position  and  prospects,  she  showed 
a  tact  that  she  had  not  always  at  command.  She  would  not 
have  Barbara  look  upon  herself  in  the  light  of  a  dependent. 
Not  at  all.  Serious  duties  would  be  expected  of  her.  She 
would  have  to  manage  this  house,  for  example — the  young 
thing  Kirsty  was  hardly  to  be  trusted.  And  there  was  more 
than  that.  It  appeared  that  the  Macleans,  mother  and  daugh- 
ter, were  in  the  habit  of  contracting  with  the  tobacco  manu- 
factory for  considerable  quantities  of  Lurgan  twist ;  and  this 
they  despatched  in  lesser  consignments  to  the  "  merchants  " 
in  the  outer  isles.     The  correspondence  attached  to  this  part 


52  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

of  the  business  was  carried  on  by  Jess  ;  but  Jess  knew  little 
Gaelic,  and  could  write  none  at  all ;  whereas,  now,  if  Barbara 
would  undertake  to  translate  these  letters  into  Gaelic,  it  would 
be  a  great  advantage  and  recommendation  to  a  good  many  of 
the  customers,  with  whom  English  was  practically  a  foreign 
tongue.     And  what  had  Barbara  to  say  to  all  this  ? 

"I  am  sure,'* the  girl  said,  speaking  rather  slowly,  as  was 
her  wont,  "  that  I  am  very  willing  to  do  anything  that  I  can 
do.  But  I  cannot  write  the  Gaelic.  I  know  it  very  well — 
oh  yes — better  than  English,  a  great  deal ;  but  I  have  never 
tried  to  write  it.  It  was  always  English  they  were  having  in 
the  school  at  Kilree." 

And  now,  and  almost  for  the  first  time  this  evening,  Allan 
Henderson  addressed  her. 

"  If  that  is  all,"  said  he,  "  there  is  no  trouble.  It  would 
be  a  very  easy  thing  for  you  to  learn  the  Gaelic  spelling  when 
you  know  the  language  well.  You  would  not  find  it  very 
difficult,  after  you  had  got  the  rules."  He  hesitated— for  the 
large,  beautiful  eyes  were  regarding  him  calmly,  perhaps  even 
curiously.  "  If  you  would  like,"  he  went  on,  "  I  would  come 
along  in  the  evening  to  give  you  some  lessons.  An  hour  each 
evening  would  do.  It  is  a  pity  you  should  know  Gaelic  so 
well  and  not  be  able  to  write  it." 

She  did  not  answer  him  at  the  moment ;  it  was  Jess  Mac- 
lean who  looked  up,  startled.  For  could  this  really  "be  Allan 
Henderson,  who  ordinarily  was  so  backward,  or  impatient,  or 
scornfully  indifferent  wherever  young  women  were  concerned, 
yet  who  now  proposed  to  devote  an  hour  each  evening  in  the 
week  to  this  solitary  converse  ?  And  that  was  most  assuredly 
what  this  private  tuition  would  mean.  No  one  else  wanted 
to  learn  Gaelic  spelling.  And  would  the  class,  consisting  of 
teacher  and  pupil,  be  held  in  the  house  here,  while  she  and 
her  mother  would  be  over  the  way  in  the  shop  ? 

At  this  point  Peter  McFadyen  interposed  in  a  storm  ily 
good-humored  fashion. 

"  Mrs.  Maclean,"  lie  cried,  "  I  call  you  to  order.  Surely 
there  has  been  enough  of  business — enough  of  business;  and 
I  would  not  have  Miss  Barbara  bothered  with  threats  of  les- 
sons the  moment  she  sets  foot  in  your  house.  It's  all  very 
well  for  you,  Allan,  my  lad ;  every  one  to  his  trade ;  but  at 


A    CEILIDH  53 

the  proper  time  ;  and  the  proper  time  is  not  every  time.  No, 
no ;  there  are  other  things ;  there  are  amusements ;  we  can- 
not have  all  work  and  no  play  ;  I  may  not  be  very  well  skilled 
in  metapheesics,  but  I  know  when  we  should  have  a  dance 
and  a  song  and  a  merrymaking,  to  keep  the  game  of  life  go- 
ing.    And  let  me  see ;  what  is  there  to  the  fore  now  ?" 

He  appeared  to  be  summoning  up  to  his  mind  the  innumer- 
able gayeties  of  Duntroone  in  the  winter. 

"  Well,  now,  for  example,  there's  the  Gaelic  Choir  to-mor- 
row night  —  the  practising  in  the  Drill  Hall  —  and  we  could 
not  do  better  than  go  there,  to  hear  the  practising  for  Mrs. 
McAskill's  soree.  I'm  going;  I  must  go;  I  must  make  my 
voice  heard  to-morrow  evening — " 

"  Oh,  are  you  going  to  sing,  Mr.  McFadyen  ?"  said  the  wid- 
ow, encouragingly. 

"  To  sing  ?"  he  repeated.  "  Well — well — no — for  I  am  not 
one  of  the  choir.  But,  as  for  a  song,"  he  proceeded,  re- 
fusing to  confess  himself  abashed,  "  if  it  is  a  song  you  would 
like,  well,  when  we  are  round  the  fire,  in  a  little  while,  I  will 
try  a  song,  just  as  if  we  were  at  an  old-fashioned  ceilidh.* 
There  is  not  half  enough  of  spirit  among  the  younger  men  of 
the  present  day—" 

"  And  do  you  call  yourself  anything  else  than  one  of  the 
younger  men  ?"  the  widow  protested,  in  a  kind  fashion. 

"  Why,  in  the  former  days,"  continued  Mr.  McFadyen, 
affecting  not  to  have  overheard  this  agreeable  compliment, 
"  when  you  were  at  supper,  and  there  were  fowls  at  supper, 
and  if  you  found  a  particular  bone,  you  would  send  it  to  such 
or  such  a  one,  and  he  would  have  to  make  verses  in  Gaelic 
there  and  then.  So  I  have  heard.  I  am  not  good  at  the  Gae- 
lic myself ;  but  as  for  a  song,  I  would  not  spoil  any  merry 
party  by  refusing — not  at  all !  And  what  I  was  saying  was 
this — to-morrow  night,  when  the  Gaelic  Choir  are  at  the  Drill 
Hall,  I  am  going  to  put  a  question  to  them ;  I  am,  indeed. 
What  kind  of  songs  are  they  going  to  sing  at  Mrs.  McAs- 
kill's soree — that's  what  I  want  to  know.  Dod's  bless  my 
soul,  is  there  any  use  in  being  muzzerable  ?  Is  there  any  use 
in  being  muzzerable,  Mrs.  Maclean  ?" 

*  A  visit — a  friendly  gathering. 


54  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  "Well,  I  never  found  any  myself,"  said  the  little  widow, 
suavery.  "  And  I'm  told  that  giving  way  to  it  is  fearf u'  bad 
for  the  congestion — " 

"  There's  some  truth  in  that,  any  way."  observed  the  school- 
master, in  a  kind  of  grim  undertone. 

"  Now  what's  the  favorite  songs  all  through  the  West  High- 
lands?" demanded  Peter,  indignantly.  "I'll  tell  you,  then. 
There's  three  in  particular.  There's  the  '  Fear  a  Bhata'  (the 
Farewell  to  the  Boatman);  there's  the  '  Farewell  to  Fuinary  '  ; 
there's  '  Farewell  to  Mackrimmon' — all  of  them  Farewells  ;  and 
are  we  to  have  nothing  but  Farewells  and  Farewells  and  Fare- 
wells, when  a  few  friends  have  met  together  to  pass  a  merry 
hour  or  two?  And  I  know  the  choir  have  plenty  of  other 
songs.  I  can  see  them  in  their  own  books.  If  I  cannot  make 
quite  clear  sense  out  of  the  Gaelic,  at  least  I  can  read  the  trans- 
lation ;  and  there's  plenty  of  sensible  songs,  instead  of  Fare- 
wells and  Farewells." 

He  suddenly  turned  to  his  neighbor. 

"  Miss  Barbara,"  said  he,  "  do  you  know  the  '  Return,  my 
Darling'?" 

The  color  came  swiftly  to  the  face  of  the  young  Highland 
girl  on  her  being  thus  unexpectedly  addressed. 

"  No,  I  do  not,"  she  said,  with  downcast  eyes. 

"  It  is  the  '  0,  till,  a  leannain,''  Barbara,"  said  Jess — who 
was  a  member  of  the  choir. 

"  Well,  now,  there  is  a  sensible  song  !"  continued  McFadyen, 
with  spirit.  "  Some  night  I  will  sing  it  to  you — at  present  I 
am  not  sure  of  the  air.     But  listen  to  words  like  this: 

'  //'  you  on  mi/  dear  one  should  gaze,  should  gaze, 
If  you  were  to  hear  what  she  sags,  she  sags, 
If  you  heard  my  pretty 
One  singing  In  r  ditty 
Your  bosom  would  get  in  a  blaze,  a  blaze? 

That's  sense.  That's  sensible.  That  doesna  belong  to  the 
devil's  clan  <>f  Farewells]  And  I  must  make  my  voice  heard 
to-morrow  evening  at  the  choir  —  oh  yes,  indeed.  We  are 
going  to  have  a  merry  evening  at  Mrs.  McAskill's — and  it  is 
useless  lamenting  for  Mackrimmon  and  Mackintosh  and  Lov- 
at,  and   the  rest  of  them.      And  sure  I  am  that  if  Miss  Bar- 


A     CEILIDH  55 

bara  here  will  go  with  us,  there  will  be  an  invite  for  her  too  ; 
yes,  yes ;  Mrs.  McAskill  is  an  old  friend  of  mine  ;  and  my 
friends  are  her  friends.  We'll  make  up  a  little  party,  and 
we'll  all  go  together ;  and  I'm  thinking  it  might  be  just  as 
well  if  I  brought  a  machine." 

Nor  did  Peter,  in  his  determination  to  keep  things  going 
gayly,  forget  his  promise  about  singing  them  a  song,  when 
they  had  left  the  table  and  were  seated  in  a  cosey  semicircle 
round  the  fire.  The  others  had  forgotten,  it  is  true  ;  for  Allan 
Henderson  had  chanced  to  ask  of  the  widow  the  origin  of  a 
saying  she  had  accidentally  used—"  Step  for  step  to  thee,  old 
woman,  and  the  odd  step  to  Ewen  ;"  and  she  was  telling  them 
the  story  :  how  Ewen  Cameron  of  Lochiel  was  returning  home 
late  one  night ;  how  he  was  followed  by  a  witch,  who  tried  to 
overtake  him ;  how  he  made  use  of  this  phrase,  and  held  on 
his  way  successfully,  keeping  one  step  in  advance  of  her,  until 
he  reached  the  ferry  ;  how  he  had  jumped  into  the  boat,  while 
the  ferryman  drove  the  witch-hag  back ;  how  she  had  called 
to  Lochiel  "  My  heart's  desire  to  thee,  dear  Ewen  !"  and  how 
he,  divining  her  purpose,  had  called  in  return,  "  Thy  heart's 
desire  to  the  big  rock  yonder" — whereupon  the  big  rock  split 
into  two  pieces,  visible  even  unto  this  day  atBallachulish  Ferry. 
To  all  this  Jess  listened  half  laughing — she  was  familiar  with 
most  of  her  mother's  old-world  sayings  and  tales  ;  but  Barba- 
ra's eyes  were  intent  and  awe-stricken  ;  and  it  was  the  expres- 
sion of  her  face,  rather  than  the  legend,  that  held  the  school- 
master's attention  fascinated  and  enthralled.  Of  course  the 
town-councillor  was  too  polite  to  interrupt.  But  as  soon  as 
Mrs.  Maclean  had  finished  her  narrative,  he  put  his  hand  over 
his  mouth  and  coughed  significantly. 

"  It  is  not  so  easy,"  said  he,  "  to  sing  without  an  accom- 
paniment ;  but  a  promise  is  a  promise,  and  I  will  do  my 
best." 

Whereupon  he  began,  in  a  curious  falsetto  voice  that 
seemed  to  come  from  just  behind  his  teeth,  instead  of  from 
his  chest  or  throat : 

"'  The  sun  has  gane  down  o'er  the  lofty  Ben- Lomond'' '" 

— this  was  his  song ;  and  he  was  evidently  proud  of  his  per- 
formance ;  for  he  took  plenty  of  time,  and  introduced  all 


56  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

manner  of  ornate  trills  of  execution,  that  could  only  have  been 
acquired  by  long  practice — 

"'And  left  the  red  clouds  to  preside  o'er  the  scene, 
While  lanely  I  stray  in  the  calm  simmer  gloambC , 
To  muse  on  sweet  Jessie,  the  flower  o'  Dumblane.'' " 

The  dog  ! — pretending  to  sing  the  praises  of  Jessie  the 
Flower  of  Dumblane,  when  it  was  as  clear  as  noonday  that 
it  was  Jessie  the  Flower  of  Duntroone  he  had  in  his  mind. 
However,  there  was  no  covert  look  or  smile ;  it  was  too  seri- 
ous a  matter  for  that ;  for  now  when  he  came  to  the  second 
half  of  the  verse  he  fairly  outdid  himself  —  those  nourishes 
and  grace-notes  were  so  abundant  that  the  tune  got  hopeless- 
ly lost  amongst  them — never  had  words  been  so  embroidered — 

" '  How  siceet  is  the  brier,  wi1  its  soft  faulding  blossom, 
And  sweet  is  the  birk,  wV  its  mantle  o'  green  ; 
Yet  sweeter  and  fairer,  and  dear  to  this  bosom, 
Is  lovely  young  Jessie,  the  flower  o'  Dumblane. 

Is  lovely  young  Jessie, 
Js  lovely  young  Jessie,  the  flower  of  Dumblane.'' " 

Nay,  when  he  arrived  at  the  final  repetition  of  the  phrase 
"lovely  young  Jessie,"  which  is  rather  high-pitched  in  the 
music,  he  actually  opened  his  mouth,  and  the  consequence 
was  a  prolonged  and  shrill  scream ;  indeed,  so  effective  and 
overwhelming  was  the  climax  of  this  last  line  that  the  widow, 
carried  away  by  her  enthusiasm,  called  out,  "  "Well  done  ! — 
well  done  !"  and  clapped  her  hands. 

"  Mother,"  said  Jess,  blushing  furiously,  "  there's  more 
verses." 

"  No,  no,"  said  Mr.  McFadyen,  modestly,  "  I'll  not  sing 
any  more  the  night.  I  got  into  rather  a  high  key — and — . 
and  my  voice  is  a  little  out  of  practice — " 

"You  did  well — you  did  just  famously!"  the  widow 
maintained.  But  Peter  had  given  evidence  of  his  possession 
of  musical  powers,  and  was  blandly  satisfied. 

Altogether  it  appeared  to  be  a  very  happy  evening  for 
every  one  concerned,  though,  to  be  sure,  the  young  girl  from 
the  outer  isles  remained  distant  and  silent.  And  to  the 
young  school-master  that  silenco  of  hers  was  far  more  im- 


A    CEILIDH  57 

pressive  than  anything  else  could  have  been ;  it  accorded 
with  a  certain  indefinable  quality,  a  certain  mysterious  ele- 
ment of  remoteness,  that  seemed  to  surround  her.  And 
what  was  the  origin,  he  asked  himself  as  he  wandered  away 
homeward  through  the  sleeping  town — but  not  to  his  books; 
his  thoughts  were  too  perturbed  and  quick-changing  for  any 
application  to  books — what  was  the  origin  of  this  strange  in- 
fluence she  appeared  to  convey,  even  without  a  single  spoken 
word?  Was  it  the  mere  sense  of  her  loneliness?  Or  had  it 
anything  to  do  with  the  circumstances  in  which  he  had  first 
encountered  her — finding  the  solitary  and  forsaken  creature  on 
that  black  reef,  with  the  darkness  all  around,  and  the  noise 
of  hurrying  waters?  And  what  was  it  that  her  eyes  said, 
that  no  mortal  eyes  had  ever  said  to  him  before  ?  Those 
beautiful  blue  deeps  under  the  raven  lashes — so  calm,  so  still, 
so  mystic  in  their  very  apathy — did  they  not  bring  some 
revelation,  some  message  wholly  apart  from  mere  human 
emotions  and  affections? 

"  They  seem  to  speak  of  the  sea  and  of  the  night,"  he  said 
to  himself,  in  the  long  and  sleepless  hours  of  recalling  and 
remembering. 
8* 


CHAPTER  VIII 

BARBAROSSA 

The  very  next  day,  to  Jess  Maclean's  astonishment,  Allan 
Henderson  walked  into  the  shop  ;  it  was  a  most  unusual  hour 
for  him  to  make  an  appearance. 

"  There  is  a  half  -  holiday  at  the  school,"  he  said  ;  "  the 
head -master  has  had  great  news  ahout  his  son  who  is  at 
Oxford.  And  I  was  thinking,  Jessie,  if  you  were  free  for  an 
hour  or  so,  you  might  like  to  go  across  to  Kerrara,  and  climh 
up  the  hill,  and  find  out  if  anything  further  has  happened 
to  the  Sanda.  I  have  got  Angus  Maclsaac's  boat — it's  down 
at  the  slip — " 

Jess  Maclean's  kindly  gray  eyes  were  lit  up  with  pleasure; 
in  Duntroone  it  is  a  special  compliment  and  mark  of  favor 
for  a  young  man  to  ask  a  young  woman  to  go  for  a  row 
with  him.  And  this  suggestion  about  the  Sanda  was  obvi- 
ously the  merest  excuse  ;  every  one  knew  what  was  happen- 
ing to  the  Sanda  ;  she  was  found  to  be  irrcmovably  jammed 
on  to  the  rock,  and  irretrievably  damaged ;  and  the  steam- 
lighter  was  kept  engaged  in  bringing  ashore  any  of  her  fit- 
tings that  might  be  of  value  —  before  the  next  gale  came 
along  to  hammer  her  to  bits. 

"  Well,  I  am  not  so  busy,"  said  Jess,  laying  down  her 
book-keeping  pen.  "  There  is  little  doing  at  this  time  of  the 
year." 

"And  would  your  cousin  Barbara  care  to  go  too?"  the 
young  school-master  added,  somewhat  diffidently. 

The  light  vanished  from  Jess  Maclean's  face. 

"  I  should  think  that  Barbara  had  had  enough  of  boats  for 
a  while,"  she  said,  somewhat  coldly. 

Yet  she  was  the  soul  of  good  -  humor  and  unselfishness. 
The  hurt  and  disappointed  look  did  not  last  a  second.  Was 
it  to  be  wondered  at  that  he  should  have  conceived  a  sudden 


BARBAROSSA  59 

interest  in  this  beautiful  creature  who  had  come  into  their 
little  circle,  and  who  had,  by  fortune  of  accident,  made  espe- 
cial claim  on  his  attention  and  pity  ? 

"Barbara?"  said  Jess,  after  a  moment,  in  her  usual  bland 
way.  "  Oh  yes,  indeed,  I  am  sure  she  will  be  glad  to  go ; 
and  I  will  run  across  the  way  and  tell  her — if  you  will  step 
into  the  parlor  and  talk  to  my  mother  for  a  moment  or  two, 
while  Barbara  and  I  are  getting  ready."  For  there  was  no 
kind  of  grudging  in  this  woman's  nature ;  if  it  was  really 
on  account  of  Barbara  that  he  had  made  this  proposal — well, 
Barbara  was  the  more  fortunate. 

Now  Barbara  did  not  respond  to  this  invitation  with  the 
gratitude  that  might  have  been  expected;  but  Jess  at  last 
induced  her  to  go  ;  and  when  both  the  girls  were  ready,  they 
crossed  over  to  the  shop,  and  Allan  and  they  proceeded  down 
to  the  beach,  where  the  boat  was  awaiting  them.  They  took 
their  places  in  the  stern ;  he  followed  in,  and  got  hold  of  the 
oars ;  then  they  shoved  off,  and  he  set  out  to  pull  them 
across  the  bay.  On  the  whole,  it  was  a  most  auspicious 
start ;  for  if  the  morning  had  been  somewhat  squally,  all  the 
world  was  now  a  blaze  of  splendor  ;  the  Mull  mountains, 
clear  to  the  top,  were  of  an  almost  summer-like  blue ;  sum- 
mer-like was  the  blue  of  the  lapping  and  flashing  waters 
around  them  ;  while  between  these  brilliant  breadths  of  color 
ran  the  long  spur  of  Kerrara,  its  russet  and  russet  -  yellow 
slopes  basking  in  the  sun.  It  is  true  that  Jess,  knowing  the 
climate,  had  brought  a  thick  plaid  with  her ;  it  now  lay  un- 
heeded over  their  knees. 

And  for  a  considerable  time  all  went  well,  and  they  made 
good  progress  across  to  the  island.  Allan  was  a  capable  oars- 
man ;  the  tall  young  school-master,  despite  his  slight  stoop, 
possessed  a  wiry  frame ;  and  everybody  along  this  coast  can 
handle  a  boat.  But  by-and-by,  and  almost  imperceptibly,  the 
aspect  of  things  began  to  alter  a  little. 

"Allan,"  said  Jess,  "I  think  we  are  going  to  have  a 
shower." 

"  No,  no — no  shower,"  said  he,  confidently  ;  for,  of  course, 
he  was  looking  back  to  the  land — and  there  all  was  placid 
sunlight,  from  the  white  houses  dotted  along  the  terraced 
cliffs  out  to  the  ivied  castle  at  the  point. 


60  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

Jess  laughed.  "  Allan,"  said  she,  "  where  is  the  island  of 
Mull  ?" 

He  turned  his  head.  There  was  no  island  of  Mull.  The 
mountains  of  tender  ethereal  rose-purple  and  azure  had  all  dis- 
appeared; and  in  their  place  there  was  a  far-stretching  film  of 
silvery  gray,  entirely  shutting  out  the  world  beyond. 

"  And  what's  that  down  the  Sound  ?"  Jess  demanded 
again. 

He  turned  and  looked  in  the  other  direction.  Off  the 
mouth  of  Loch  Feochan  a  broad  black  band  lay  on  the  water 
— a  band  of  almost  inky  hue  ;  but  even  as  they  regarded  it,  it 
began  to  resolve  itself — -it  came  creeping  stealthily  along,  leav- 
ing a  vague  indistinctness  in  its  wake.  Then  Kerrara  itself 
appeared  to  undergo  gradual  transformation  ;  the  low-lying 
hills  took  loftier  and  mystic  forms ;  through  this  ever-advanc- 
ing veil  they  looked  strange  and  remote.  And  was  there  not 
some  darkness  assembling  overhead  ? — some  pervading  gloom 
all  around  ?     The  blue  had  gone  from  the  sea. 

"  Quick  !  quick  !"  cried  Jess — and  she  opened  out  the  thick 
plaid  and  threw  it  round  Barbara  and  herself,  the  two  of  them 
crouching  together,  their  heads  bent  down. 

Then  with  a  cold  and  angry  swirl  of  wind  came  the  first 
rattle  of  the  rain — splashing  on  thwarts  and  gunwale  and  hiss- 
ing on  the  leaden  sea  ;  the  gloom  around  them  increased ;  the 
island  they  were  making  for  seemed  to  recede  and  recede,  un- 
til it  appeared  to  be  a  hopeless  distance  away  ;  and  then  again 
— in  about  another  couple  of  minutes — they  could  descry  that 
same  island  of  Kerrara  shining  a  beautiful  golden-green  be- 
hind the  gray  folds  of  the  wet ;  the  world  lightened  and  still 
further  lightened ;  and  as  they  once  more  emerged  into  blue 
water  and  warm  sunshine,  behold  !  the  mountains  of  Mull  had 
returned — the  velvct-hued  shoulders  of  purple  and  soft  rose- 
gray  showing  along  their  summits  a  slight  sprinkling  of  snow, 
left  by  the  swift-drifting  shower. 

And  now  they  were  come  to  Ardentrivc,  the  solitary  and 
secluded  bay  in  which  the  yachts  of  this  part  of  the  coast  are 
laid  up  for  the  winter.  Very  forlorn  and  ghostly  looked  those 
silent,  dismantled  vessels ;  yet  they  were  interesting  in  a  way  ; 
it  was  like  walking  past  empty  rooms,  thinking  of  vanished 
glories.      And  as  they  went  from  one  to  the  other,  Allan 


BARBAROSSA  61 

chanced  to  notice  that  the  gangway  of  a  certain  schooner  had 
not  been  properly  fixed  down. 

"  Would  you  like  to  go  on  board  and  have  a  look  about 
the  deck  ?"  said  he  to  his  companions.  "  It  would  not  be 
difficult." 

"If  you're  sure  there's  no  one  on  the  yacht,"  said  Jess, 
doubtfully. 

"  There  cannot  be,"  he  pointed  out.  "  There's  no  boat 
astern.  And  who  would  be  on  board  a  yacht  at  this  time  of 
year  ?" 

And  yet,  when  at  length  he  had  clambered  over  the  gun- 
wale, and  opened  the  gangway,  and  had  got  the  two  girls 
hauled  up  on  deck,  and  when  they  began  to  peer  about,  there 
were  some  unusual  symptoms  observable. 

"  I  never  saw  a  boat  left  like  this,"  said  he — for  everybody 
in  Duntroone  knows  something  about  boats.  "  Look  at  the 
tarpaulin  of  the  skylight — it  has  been  taken  off  and  thrown 
back  again  ;  what  is  to  prevent  a  gust  of  wind  from  blowing 
it  overboard  ?" 

He  pursued  his  investigations. 

"  Look  here,"  he  called  again ;  "  the  doors  of  the  compan- 
ion-way have  been  left  open.  Let  us  go  down  and  see  the 
saloon." 

He  shoved  back  the  hatch  of  the  companion-way,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  descend  the  steps,  the  two  girls  rather  timorously 
following.  Indeed,  there  was  something  uncanny  in  finding 
themselves  in  possession  of  this  deserted  ship ;  moreover,  be- 
neath them  was  a  vague  and  mysterious  gloom,  for  the  tar- 
paulin, loose  as  it  might  be,  quite  sufficiently  covered  the 
deck  skylight. 

But  the  next  moment  this  indefinite  apprehension  had  given 
way  to  the  most  violent  alarm  and  terror.  For  no  sooner  had 
Allan  reached  the  open  door  of  the  saloon  than  he  suddenly 
stopped  short,  and  instinctively  threw  out  both  arms,  as  if  to 
bar  the  further  progress  of  the  women. 

"  What  in  the  name  of  God  is  that  ?"  he  exclaimed,  gazing 
with  awe-stricken  eyes  into  the  dim  obscurity. 

"  It's  a  dead  man  !"  cried  Barbara,  with  a  piercing  shriek, 
"  Come  away — Jess ! — Jess  !" 

But  Jess  was  too  terrified  to  move ;  she  could  only  stare 


62  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

into  the  semi-darkness  at  the  ghastly  object  that  there  pre- 
sented itself.  And  Allan,  also,  stood  and  stared— wondering 
whether  they  had  stumbled  into  dreamland,  and  broken  in 
upon  the  slumbers  of  the  Emperor  Barbarossa.  For  at  the 
farther  end  of  the  sombre  saloon,  half  reclining  against  the 
cushions,  and  apparently  dead  asleep,  there  was  an  upright 
figure  clad  in  a  white  mantle  ;  some  kind  of  crown  surmount- 
ed his  brows  ;  and  on  the  table  before  him  lay  a  metal  instru- 
ment ;  brass  or  gold  it  seemed  to  be  in  the  prevailing  dusk. 
The  red-bearded  sleeper  did  not  stir  or  show  any  sign  of  life; 
and  the  silence  around  him  was  as  the  silence  of  the  grave. 

"Jess!  —  Jess!"  said  Barbara,  with  ashen  lips.  "Come 
away — it  is  a  work  of  the  devil !" 

But  Jess,  trembling  though  she  was,  would  not  leave  Allan  ; 
she  felt  safer  standing  by  him  than  in  trying  to  flee  from  the 
neighborhood  of  that  appalling  phantasm;  unknown  to  her- 
self, she  had  put  her  hand  on  the  young  man's  arm,  and  would 
have  dragged  him  back,  when  he  advanced  a  step. 

"  Who  are  you  ? — and  what  are  you  ?"  he  demanded,  in  a 
loud  voice. 

The  white  figure  slowly  moved  ;  a  pallid  face  appeared  to 
regard  the  intruders;  then  of  a  sudden  the  unknown  snatched 
up  the  sceptre-looking  instrument  that  lay  on  the  table,  and 
brandished  it  before  him. 

"  Away,  away  I"  he  called,  shrilly,  in  Gaelic.  "  It's  I  that 
will  not  be  satisfied  till  the  Bay  of  Duntroonc  is  filled  with 
blood  ! — with  blood  ! — with  blood  !  Ten  thousand  down  from 
the  Gallows  Hill — ten  thousand  burled  over  the  Minard  cliffs 
— sweep  them,  sweep  them  into  the  sea — till  they  know  the 
power  of  the  King!  The  power  of  the  King! — that  must 
walk  on  the  neck  of  his  enemies,  and  splash  the  lintels  of  his 
door  with  the  blood,  lill  not' one  of  them  be  left  in  the  land  ! 
Hurl  them  over — crush  them — mangle  them — slaves,  away 
now,  and  do  my  bidding  ! — for  the  bloody  slaughter  shall  not 
cease  till  the  going  down  of  the  sun  I" 

In  his  frantic  gesticulation,  the  red  beard,  which  was  mere- 
ly a  strip  of  cow's  hide,  got  disarranged,  .-mil  fell  to  the  floor. 

"  It's  Niall  Gorach!"*  cried  .less,  in  amazement. 

*  Half-witted  Neil, 


HARBAROSSA  63 

But  the  poor  half-witted  lad,  hearing  this  real  voice,  began 
dimly  to  perceive  that  these  strangers  were  actual  human  be- 
ings, not  the  ghosts  and  hallucinations  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  command,  in  his  madder  moments,  from  this  throne 
of  state.  He  peered  curiously  at  them,  in  a  frightened  way, 
and  now  he  was  all  trembling. 

"  Have  you  come  for  me  ?"  he  said,  in  pitiful  and  whimper- 
ing tones — and  he  humbly  laid  down  his  sceptre,  which  was 
none  other  than  the  brass  poker  belonging  to  the  stove. 

"  Why,  how  did  you  get  here  ?"  demanded  Allan. 

"  I  took  a  boat  from  the  Corran  shore,"  he  answered — 
looking  furtively  and  apprehensively  from  one  to  the  other  in 
this  obscure  twilight. 

"  And  where  did  you  get  the  oars  for  her  ?" 

"  I  took  a  piece  of  wood  from  the  Dunchoillie  fence — and 
— and  I  watched  the  tides." 

"  And  what  have  you  done  with  her  now  ?" 

"  I  shoved  her  away." 

"  And  left  yourself  to  starve !  Why,  how  long  have  you 
been  on  board  this  yacht  ?" 

"  I  am  not  knowing — a  long  time,  I  think — many  thou- 
sands of  people  were  coming  to  see  me — "  But  here  he 
checked  himself ;  his  visionary  kingdom  was  over ;  the  world 
of  fact  and  substance  had  found  him. 

"  And  have  you  had  anything  to  eat  and  drink  ?" 

"  I  brought  a  bag  of  meal  and  a  cask  of  water,"  he  said  ; 
and  then  he  added,  in  an  appealing  way,  "  I  will  give  you 
some  if  you  will  not  hurt  me,  or  put  me  in  jail."  Nay,  so 
-abject  and  penitent  was  he  that  he  took  the  tinselly  crown 
from  his  forehead  and  timidly  placed  it  on  the  table  ;  it  was 
the  last  sign  and  symbol  of  his  abdication. 

Well,  they  were  not  disposed  to  be  too  hard  on  the  poor 
wretch,  whose  royal  government  of 'spectral  armies,  in  this 
solitary  cabin,  could  not  have  done  much  harm  to  anybody ; 
and,  indeed,  as  it  turned  out,  Niall  was  the  means,  the  unin- 
tentional means,  of  doing  Allan  Henderson  an  excellent  good 
turn  this  afternoon.  For  of  course  they  had  to  take  him  with 
them — after  they  had  dispossessed  him  of  his  blanket-robe 
and  returned  it  to  a  locker,  and  after  they  had  shut  up  and 
made  secure  everything  on  .board  the  yacht  as  well  as  they 


64  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

could,  with  some  comments  on  the  negligence  of  care-takers. 
Then  they  pulled  ashore  and  landed  on  Kerrara,  leaving  Niall 
in  charge  of  the  boat  drawn  up  on  the  beach.  They  next  pro- 
ceeded to  climb  the  nearest  hill  from  which  they  might  have 
a  view  of  the  distant  Lady  Rock,  this  being  the  ostensible  aim 
of  their  excursion.  It  was,  in  truth,  very  little  they  could  see 
of  the  unfortunate  Sanda  beyond  a  touch  of  red  that  revealed 
her  funnel ;  however,  they  had  come  to  look  at  the  steamer; 
and  now  that  they  had  accomplished  their  object,  there  was 
nothing  for  them  but  to  go  away  home  again — Allan  could 
find  no  further  excuse  for  prolonging  this  all  too  delightful 
lingering  and  its  secret  and  magnetic  association. 

Of  a  sudden  Jess  Maclean,  who  was  a  sharp-eyed  lass,  be- 
gan to  giggle,  and  then  to  laugh  outright. 

"  Do  you  know  what  has  happened  i"  she  said.  "  Where 
is  your  boat,  Allan  ?" 

The  school-master  wheeled  round.  There  was  no  doubt 
about  what  had  happened.  The  young  rascal  Niall,  seizing 
his  opportunity,  had  shoved  off,  jumped  into  the  boat,  and 
was  now  making  for  the  main-land  as  hard  as  ever  he  could 
pull. 

"  The  scoundrel  !"  said  Allan,  not  a  little  disconcerted. 
"  But  it  is  no  matter.  Angus  Maclsaac  will  catch  him  when 
he  gets  ashore,  and  Angus  will  bring  the  boat  back  for  us." 

"Oh,  do  you  think  so?"  said  Jess,  with  merriment  in  her 
pretty  gray  eyes.  "  Well,  now,  do  you  see  where  the  daft  lad 
is  going?  For  he  is  not  so  daft  as  to  try  landing  at  the  quay 
or  any  of  the  slips ;  no,  no ;  he  is  making  for  the  little  bay  at 
Dunchoillie,  and  as  soon  as  he  has  got  ashore,  he  will  escape 
away  through  the  woods.  Allan,  how  many  miles  is  it  we'll 
have  to  walk  to  the  ferry  ?" 

Clearly  this  was  now  what  stared  them  in  the  face.  Other 
hope  for  them  there  was  none.  They  waited  a  long  time  to 
see  if  any  sane  creature  should  chance  to  capture  the  runa- 
way, and  have  the  understanding  to  send  back  the  boat ;  but 
nothing  of  the  kind  occurred  ;  and  so  they  set  out — Allan 
secretly  rejoicing — to  walk  away  over  the  rough  island  to  the 
ferry  that  crosses  Kerrara  Sound. 

He  bore  Niall  no  ill-will  for  having  played  them  this  trick. 
The  world  was  full  of  wonder  and  a  subtle  fascination  all 


BARBAROSSA  65 

through  the  hours  of  this  enchanted  afternoon ;  and  when 
eventually  they  got  across  to  the  main-land  there  were  more 
of  magic  spells ;  for  they  walked  home  through  a  lambent 
twilight,  with  a  crescent  moon  of  clear  gold  nearly  overhead, 
while  far  away  in  the  west,  high  above  the  mystic  glooms  and 
phantom  shapes  of  the  Mull  hills,  there  was  a  stormy  glare  of 
rose  pink  that  sent  a  warm  flush  across  the  now  approaching 
Duntroone,  its  houses  and  woods  and  scant  gardens.  Yes, 
and  all  his  life  seemed  likewise  to  have  burst  into  flame : 
whether  a  consuming  flame,  it  was  for  the  inscrutable  Fates 
to  determine  and  declare. 


CHAPTER   IX 
PROBLEMS    AND    DREAMS 

Now  on  the  Sabbath  day  it  was  the  custom  of  the  good 
folk  of  Duntroone,  excepting  the  ultra-strict  amongst  them,  to 
permit  themselves  a  little  walk  along  the  sea-front  after  morn- 
ing service ;  and  this  was  the  next  opportunity  to  which  the 
school-master  could  look  for  resuming — without  any  appear- 
ance of  intrusive  haste — his  acquaintance  with  the  wonderful 
stranger  from  the  outer  isles :  perchance  in  the  vague  hope 
of  inveigling  Jess  and  her  to  go  with  him  for  some  brief 
landward  stroll.  But  alas  for  these  fond  desires  !  On  the 
Saturday  evening  there  was  a  filmy  and  mysterious  halo 
round  the  crescent  moon ;  an  hour  or  two  later  the  wind  be- 
gan to  rise — with  a  vague  premonitory  howl ;  before  midnight 
a  full  gale  was  raging,  shaking  the  house  to  its  very  founda- 
tions ;  and  through  the  long  dark  night  there  was  a  clatter- 
ing of  windows  and  a  succession  of  deluges  of  rain  that  told 
of  what  was  happening  outside.  Then  his  first  despairing 
glimpse  of  the  new  day  seemed  to  say  that  all  was  over.  The 
driven  and  turbulent  sea  was  of  a  livid  green,  with  the  white 
crests  of  the  chasing  waves  whirled  aloft  and  scattered  in 
spindrift;  the  water  was  surging  heavily  along  the  quays  and 
springing  high  in  foam  ;  the  roadways  were  deep  in  mud  ; 
and  a  solitary  pedestrian,  a  woman,  witli  her  head  hutted 
down,  and  her  ineffectual  waterproof  blown  up  into  a  black 
balloon,  was  being  dragged  hither  and  thither  as  she  strove 
against  the  gusts  of  the  storm.  A  cheerless  prospect,  truly  ; 
for  Ihmtroone,  on  a  wet  Sunday,  is  the  wettest-looking  place 
in  all  tin-  wild  and  wet  West    Highlands. 

Nevertheless,  the  weather  was  not  likely  to  imprison  the 
young  sohool-master ;  out-of-doors  could  be  no  colder  than 

this  tireless  and  miserable  room  of  his;    besides,  he  was  rest- 
less, ill  at  ease,  and  longing  to  be  away  in  free  and  open  soli- 


PROBLEMS     AND     DREAMS  67 

tude ;  and  so,  making  some  inward  excuse  about  having  a 
look  round  to  see  if  there  was  any  chance  of  the  dav  better- 
ing, he  set  forth,  and  eventually  found  himself  climbing  to 
the  summit  of  the  Gallows  Hill.  There  he  made  sure  he 
would  have  all  the  world  to  himself  alone. 

But  it  was  not  so.  To  his  astonishment,  he  discovered 
that  he  had  been  forestalled.  Lauchie  Maclntyre,  the  shoe- 
maker, was  seated  on  the  bench  at  the  foot  of  the  flag-staff. 

"Well,  Lauchlan,"  said  he,  "you're  early  astir.  And 
what's  brought  you  up  here  ?" 

"  My  head  is  not  so  well,"  said  Lauchlan,  sadly,  and  he  took 
his  cap  off  and  laid  it  on  his  knees.  "  And  I  thought  there 
would  be  a  fine  cold  wind  blowing  on  the  hill." 

"  Maybe  you  had  a  little  drop  last  night,  then  ?"  Allan 
suggested. 

The  melancholy  -  visaged  shoemaker  glanced  reproachfully 
at  the  younger  man. 

"  Aw,  Mr.  Henderson,  that  you  would  think  the  likes  of 
that  of  me  ! — me  that's  a  Rechabite,  and  was  at  a  Band  of 
Hope  meeting  only  the  night  before  last.  There's  no  such 
things  as  that  for  me  —  no,  no.  Now  look  at  this ;  there's 
many  a  man  would  have  tekken  to  drink  long  ago  in  my 
place.  There's  many  a  man  would  have  tekken  to  drink 
when  his  wife  rin  aweh  from  him.  But  not  me — not  me ; 
says  I  to  myself,  '  Lauchie,  let  the  duvvle  go,  and  welcome 
to  her.'  And  this  one  and  that  was  saying  I  should  c-o 
through  to  Fort  William,  and  bash  the  head  of  that  little 
bandy  -  legged  carpenter ;  but  says  I  to  myself,  '  No,  no  ;  if 
he's  willing  to  tek  up  with  a  duvvle  like  that,  it  is  you, 
Lauchie,  that  is  well  rid  of  them  both,  and  be  tammed  to 
them  !'  What  would  I  be  going  to  Fort  AVilliam  for  ?  It's 
not  to  Fort  William  I  would  be  going,  when  I  might  have  to 
bring  her  back  again." 

"Yes,  I've  heard  you  were  a  married  man,"  said  Allan,  ab- 
sently. And  he  did  not  go  on  his  way,  as  he  had  purposed 
doing,  to  secure  silence  and  solitude  for  himself.  He  sat 
down  on  the  bench  beside  the  shoemaker.  For  here  at  least 
was  a  human  being  who  had  come  through,  in  however  blind 
and  bleared  a  fashion,  certain  of  the  great  crises  and  expe- 
riences of  life — had  perhaps  even,  unknown  to  himself,  been 


68  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

face  to  face  with  problems  and  mysteries.  What,  for  exam- 
ple, was  the  origin  of  this  disenchantment  and  repulsion  that 
he  had  so  freely  confessed  ?  And  Allan  had  no  fear  of  mak- 
ing any  humiliating  or  disturbing  discoveries.  It  was  the 
truth  he  wanted,  seen  from  whatever  side.  He  was  well 
aware  that  a  Sancho  Panza  element  exists  in  human  nature, 
and  that  not  to  its  detriment;  the  gargoyle  does  not  detract 
from  the  majesty  of  the  cathedral.  "  Yet  I  warrant,"  said  he 
to  Long  Lauchie,  "  that  you  sang  a  different  song  when  she 
was  your  sweetheart — when  you  believed  her  to  be  the  finest 
creature  in  all  the  country — when  you  cared  for  nothing,  for 
nothing  in  the  world,  so  much  as  to  see  her  eyes  look 
kindly  at  you  when  you  came  near.  Isn't  that  so  ?  Am  I 
right  ?"  he  went  on,  seeing  that  the  dejected  shoemaker  was 
silent.  "  I'm  thinking  there  was  a  time  when  you  wouldn't 
have  contentedly  seen  her  go  away  with  another  man.  No ; 
you  would  rather  have  been  for  breaking  the  head  of  any 
man  that  wanted  even  to  be  a  little  friendly  with  her.  There 
must  have  been  a  time  when  the  madness  was  on  you.  They 
tell  me  that  when  a  man  sees  the  one  woman  in  all  the  world 
that  he  must  have  for  his  wife,  it  is  a  kind  of  madness  that 
comes  over  him — " 

"  A  madness  ?"  said  Lauchlan,  gloomily.  "  Aye.  There 
was  ten  days  of  it.  Her  father  he  keepit  a  public-house  in 
Tobermory ;  and  when  I  came  to  myself  at  the  end  of  the 
ten  days,  they  were  saying  that  I  had  promised  to  marry  Jean. 
Aye,  they  were  saying  that.  And  mebbe  I  had.  And  mebbe 
I  had  not.  But  it  was  of  little  matter ;  for  her  father  he  was 
a  decent  man  ;  and  there  was  ahlways  a  glass  for  a  friend ; 
and  there  was  a  talk  of  a  fine  wedding — so  I  said  no  more." 

Tinkle-tanklc,  tinkle-tankle,  went  the  bell  of  the  Catholic 
chapel ;  and  one  or  two  small  dark  figures  began  to  appear 
in  the  distant  thoroughfares. 

"  But  no  doubt  you  hoped  for  the  best,"  continued  Allan. 
"  And  what  was't,  think  you,  made  the  marriage  turn  out  ill !" 

"The  drink,"  replied  Long  Lauchie,  with  mournful  resig- 
nation. "  She  was  just  like  the  rest.  Ahl  the  weemen  arc 
alike.  They're  ahl  alike.  They're  ahl  at  the  drink,  or  worse. 
There's  a  cousin  of  mine  that  is  a  game-keeper  over  on  Loch 
Awe-side,  and  he  says  the  two  classes  that  mek  ahl  the  mis- 


PROBLEMS    AND    DREAMS  69 

chief  of  the  kintry  are  weemen  and  meenisters,  and  that  it's 
a  pity  there  does  not  brek  out  a  grouse-disease  among  them 
to  sweep  them  ahl  aweh.     Aye,  indeed." 

It  was  without  anger  that  Lauchlan  delivered  himself  of 
these  quite  desperate  views  of  life  and  feminine  human  nat- 
ure ;  he  had  escaped  from  the  toils,  and  was  merely  a  pas- 
sive spectator  now. 

"  And  do  you  mean  to  say,"  Allan  demanded,  "  that  you 
allowed  your  wife  to  run  away  from  you  without  making  the 
least  effort  to  bring  her  back  ?" 

"  Well,  now,"  said  the  shoemaker,  with  greater  animation, 
11 1  will  just  tell  you  what  happened  that  day,  and  I  will  ask 
you  if  I  did  not  do  right.  I  was  down  at  the  North  Quay, 
with  a  friend  of  mine  that  was  going  to  Ballachulish,  and  we 
were  waiting  for  the  Fusilier  to  come  over  from  the  South 
Quay.  And  when  the  Fusilier  was  brought  alongside,  then 
one  of  the  lads  of  the  steamer  he  comes  running  up  the  gang- 
way, and  he  says,  '  Lauchie,  do  you  know  that  your  wife  is  in 
the  fore-caybin  V  '  No,'  says  I,  '  I  do  not.'  '  Well,  she  is,' 
says  he,  '  and  him  that's  along  with  her  is  MacKillop  the  car- 
penter, from  Fort  William;  and  I'm  thinking  it's  not  ahl 
right,  from  the  look  of  them.'  'And  do  you  tell  me,  now,' 
says  I,  '  that  my  wife  is  running  aweh  with  MacKillop  the 
carpenter  ?'  '  It  is  not  for  me  to  answer  such  a  question,'  says 
he.  '  It  is  for  you  to  come  on  board  and  get  hold  of  your 
wife.'  'Is  it?'  says  I.  '  Then  I  will  see  her  tammed  first.  If 
she's  running  aweh  with  the  bandy-legged  carpenter,  let  the 
duvvle  go  and  welcome !'  Then  says  Johnnie,  '  They  are 
carrying  a  big  bundle  between  them.'  Well,  at  that,  Mr. 
Henderson,  at  that  something  came  over  me.  '  Johnnie,  lad,' 
says  I,  '  come  aweh  down  quick  to  the  fore-caybin,  and  you'll 
seize  hold  of  the  bundle,  and  I'll  give  the  carpenter  a  clout 
that  will  mek  him  think  it's  the  Day  of  Chidgment.'  That's 
what  I  was  saying ;  and  my  foot  was  on  the  gangway ;  but  I 
stopped.  Aye,  indeed,  I  stopped.  Says  I  to  myself:  'Is  it 
not  a  good  thing  to  be  rid  of  a  lot  of  weemen's  clothes  ? 
Does  any  one  want  a  lot  of  weemen's  clothes  hanging  about 
one's  house  ?'  And  back  I  stepped  from  the  gangway.  '  Let 
them  go  to  Fort  William,  or  to  the  duvvle,  bundle  and  all !' 
says  I — and  in  a  few  minutes  aweh  went  the  Fusilier,  and  I've 


70  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

never  set  eyes  on  either  of  them  since.  And  there's  many  a 
man  would  have  made  that  excuse  for  tekkin'  to  drink  ;  but 
I'm  not  wan  of  that  kind  ;  no,  no  ;  I  would  rather  do  what 
little  I  can  to  banish  ahl  that  sin  and  shame  from  our  kin  try. 
Aye,  that's  jist  what  it  is :  drink  is  the  sin  and  shame  of  the 
kintry.     Have  you  a  fill  of  tobacco,  Mr.  Henderson  ?" 

But  Allan  had  left  his  pouch  behind  him.  So  Lauchie, 
with  a  patient  sigh,  put  his  pipe  in  his  pocket  again,  and  rose 
to  his  feet. 

"I  am  thinking  I  will  be  getting  home  now.  My  head  is 
not  so  well.  Mebbe  I  will  try  lying  down  on  my  bed  for  a 
while — there  is  little  hope  of  meeting  in  with  a  friend  on  a 
day  like  this."  So  Long  Lauchie  departed  ;  and  the  young 
school-master  was  left  alone  with  this  great,  wide,  far-stretch- 
ing world  of  moving  shapes  and  vaporous  glooms. 

Nevertheless,  there  was  still  some  small  glimmering  of 
hope.  Occasionally  there  would  come  a  suffused  silvery  look 
into  a  portion  of  the  eastern  skies  ;  the  lurid  and  formless 
heavens  would  show  symptoms  of  banking  up ;  while  the 
slopes  of  Kerrara,  catching  this  or  that  wandering  gleam, 
would  burn  an  intense  russet-yellow  against  the  blue-black  of 
the  Mull  mountains.  Then  again  a  gradual  fading  of  that  wild 
glare ;  a  gathering  darkness  ;  an  advancing  murmur  of  wind 
and  water;  and  forthwith  a  white  smoke  of  rain  would  go 
tearing  across  the  bay,  the  squall  whirling  onward  with  the 
hurrying  waves.  There  was  not  a  dog  visible  along  all  the 
deserted  sea-front  of  Duntroone. 

However,  storm  or  shine,  the  people  would  soon  be  coming 
out  of  the  churches  now,  and  so  he  slowly  and  watchfully 
made  his  way  downward  from  these  gusty  heights.  As  the 
first  of  the  worshippers  began  to  appear,  he  quickened  his 
pace;  he  would  have  to  intercept  the  two  girls  —  yet  in  a 
casual  kind  of  way  ;  most  likely  they  would  make  straight  for 
home,  instead  of  attempting  any  promenade  along  the  wet 
concrete  that  was  now  all  littered  with  sca-wecd.  And  this 
was  precisely  what  happened.  Another  minute  or  two  and  he 
would  have  missed  them,  lie  encountered  them  at  the  cor- 
ner of  the  street.  They  had  had  no  thought  of  going  along 
by  the  sea-front  on  such  a  morning. 

"  Well,  now,  Allan,"'  said  Jess,  with  her  gray  eyes  smiling 


PROBLEMS    AND     DREAMS  71 

benignly  (Barbara  paid  little  heed  to  him  ;  she  seemed  more 
concerned  about  keeping  ber  water-proof  sleeves  well  over  ber 
wristbands),  "  tbis  is  not  a  day  for  any  one  to  be  outside. 
Will  you  come  home  with  us,  and  take  a  little  bit  of  dinner 
with  us  ?" 

"It  is  very  kind  of  you,  Jessie — "  he  was  beginning  to  say, 
with  some  embarrassment,  when  she  interrupted  him. 

"  But  you  are  going  to  refuse,  as  usual.  Do  you  think  it 
is  very  friendly,  Allan  ?  I  know  that  we  cannot  talk  about 
anything  that  would  interest  you,  for  the  President  of  the 
Duntroone  Literary  and  Scientific  Society  is  such  a  great  per- 
son ;  but  we  would  make  you  welcome  ;  and  cousins,  cousins 
in  the  Highlands  especially,  should  not  be  so  ceremonious." 

Well,  the  President  of  the  Duntroone  Literary  and  Scien- 
tific Society  might  or  might  not  have  been  a  great  and  learned 
person  ;  but  at  least  he  had  not  the  heart  to  refuse  this  cun- 
ningly worded  invitation  ;  and  the  next  minute  he  was  accom- 
panying the  two  girls  on  their  homeward  way. 

"  And  who  knows,"  continued  Jess,  in  her  kindly  fashion, 
'•  but  that  the  afternoon  may  clear  up  a  bit,  and  Barbara  and 
you  and  I  might  go  for  a  walk  over  to  Ganavan  ?  Oh  yes,  it 
is  just  as  likely  as  not  to  clear  up  a  little  !" 

And  eventually,  as  it  turned  out,  her  cheerful  optimism  was 
rewarded  ;  for  by  three  o'clock  the  state  of  affairs  looked  suf- 
ficiently promising  to  induce  them  to  leave  the  house ;  and 
deep  was  the  joy  in  Allan's  heart  when  they  had  actually  set 
forth  upon  this  excursion.  They  took  an  inland  route  to 
begin  with,  but  it  mattered  little  to  him  whither  they  went. 
Perhaps  it  was  merely  chance  that  placed  him  by  Barbara's 
side  as  they  started  off ;  at  any  rate,  he  found  himself  once 
more  subject  to  the  overmastering  spell  of  her  mere  presence 
— the  inexplicable,  extraordinary  enhancement  of  being  near 
her — the  wonder  and  delight  of  being  able  to  regard  the  wind 
stirring  the  wisps  and  tangles  of  her  raven-black  hair.  And, 
indeed,  that  was  about  all  of  her  companionship  that  she  vouch- 
safed to  him.  She  rarely  spoke,  except  to  answer  a  question  ; 
it  was  Jess  who  did  all  the  talking — teasing  him  and  mocking 
him,  and  yet  becoming  sympathetic  enough  when  she  hap- 
pened to  touch  upon  anything  really  affecting  himself  or  his 
future. 


72  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

They  left  the  highway — they  followed  a  farm  road — crossed 
some  heights  and  knolls — and  came  in  sight  of  the  western 
seas  again.  A  sombre  day,  perhaps,  for  a  country  walk  ;  and 
yet  there  was  plenty  of  color  in  the  wintry  landscape — the 
yellow  of  the  pastures,  the  dank  crimson  of  the  withered 
breckan,  the  intense  green  of  the  whins,  the  blood  red  of  the 
bramble  stems  trailing  across  the  swollen  brook.  And  when, 
as  they  were  descending  from  the  heights  towards  the  shore, 
a  sudden  fire  broke  through  the  heavy  clouds  lying  over  the 
mountains  in  Mull,  why,  all  the  world  around  them  grew  ra- 
diant, and  even  the  leafless  ash-trees  caught  something  of  the 
welcome  light — a  shimmering  touch  of  silver  on  the  branches 
that  stretched  away  up  into  the  leaden-hued  sky.  A  most 
comforting  gleam  ;  it  was  full  of  promise  ;  it  seemed  to  speak 
of  a  general  breaking  up  of  those  louring  heavens ;  perhaps 
by  the  time  they  were  returning  home  they  might  have  for 
company  the  crescent  moon. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill  the  burn  runs  at  right  angles,  and  as 
they  were  crossing  the  rude  little  bridge,  Allan  happened  to 
espy  under  the  straggling  blood-red  stems  of  the  brambles  a 
small  white  star. 

"  Why,"  he  said,  "  there  is  the  first  wild-flower  I  have  seen 
this  year  !" 

He  stepped  down  the  slippery  bank,  reached  under  the 
bushes,  and  brought  away  the  tiny  prize.  It  was  only  a  daisy — 
not  "  crimson-tipped  "  at  all — but  pale  and  colorless ;  none  the 
less  the  first  timid  harbinger  of  the  spring  was  surely  an 
interesting  thing,  with  its  mystic  message  of  wonder  and 
hope.  Then  it  was  in  its  way  a  rarity ;  he  was  bound  to 
present  it  to  one  of  his  companions.  To  which  of  them? 
Jess  rather  stood  aside  a  little,  looking  askance. 

"  Would  you  care  to  have  it  ?"  said  he  to  Barbara,  and  he 
shyly  offered  her  this  humble  little  token. 

Yes,  she  took  it ;  and  she  thanked  him  in  a  kind  of  fashion 
— that  is  to  say,  with  her  voice,  not  with  any  glance  of  her 
unfathomable  eyes  ;  then  they  went  on  again.  And  Jess  had 
not  lingered  behind  to  wipe  away  any  sudden  tears  of  morti- 
fication and  reproach  ;  for  she  was  a  sensible  lass  ;  and  she  had 
but  the  smallest  sense  of  her  own  importance  and  value  in  the 
world.     Only,  for  a  little  time,  she  was  silent  and  preoccupied. 


'"THERE    IS   THE    FIRST    WILD  FLOWER    I    HAVE    SEEN    THIS    YEAR !' " 


PROBLEMS    AND    DREAMS  73 

They  went  down  to  the  shore,  and  the  sands,  and  the  rocks, 
round  which  the  dark-green  sea  was  monotonously  washing, 
with  crisp  white  flashes  of  foam  here  and  there.  A  lonely 
place,  as  the  calling  of  the  startled  birds  bore  witness — 
curlews,  oyster-catchers,  sandpipers,  and  the  like ;  while  ev- 
erywhere there  was  dispersal — the  black  and  white  gleam  of 
a  pair  of  arrow-flighted  mergansers,  the  slow-flapping  labored 
progress  of  a  heron,  the  cautious  retreat  of  a  deep-swimming 
skart  that  was  already  a  mile  out  from  shore,  dipping  its 
head  from  time  to  time,  and  paddling  still  farther  away. 
But  in  a  very  few  minutes  silence  prevailed  again  ;  several  of 
the  flocks  of  birds  returned  to  their  feeding -grounds ;  and 
when  the  three  strangers,  having  sought  out  a  convenient  seat 
for  themselves  on  the  rocks,  took  their  places,  there  was  no 
further  cry  or  sign  of  protest  against  the  intrusion. 

And  of  what  did  these  young  folk  talk,  in  the  gathering 
twilight?  Allan  Henderson  hardly  knew.  The  folds  of  her 
dress  were  visible  to  him,  that  was  enough ;  the  magnetic, 
alarming  consciousness  that  she  was  almost  within  touch  of 
him  ;  the  secret  wistful  hope  that  sooner  or  later  she  might 
turn  towards  him  more  friendly,  more  interested,  eyes.  It 
was  Jess  who  rather  came  to  the  rescue ;  and  so  also  on  their 
way  back  to  the  town ;  she  had  heard  of  the  great  German 
mediaeval  poem  that  Allan  was  endeavoring  to  translate ;  and 
she  wanted  to  know  how  he  was  getting  on  with  the  laborious 
task ;  and  sought  to  reassure  him  about  his  doubts  as  to 
whether  he  should  be  able  to  find  a  publisher.  For  she  was 
a  kindly,  helpful  sort  of  creature ;  and  she  had  a  resolute 
faith  in  the  future  of  this  young  man. 

The  last  of  the  twilight  was  vanishing  as  he  parted  from 
them  at  the  house  in  Campbell  Street.  And  it  was  with  a 
heavy  heart,  it  was  with  a  bitter  sense  of  disappointment  and 
despondency,  that  he  turned  away  and  set  out  for  home.  For 
too  surely  he  had  observed  that  the  first  little  tentative  token 
of  friendship  he  had  offered  to  Barbara  Maclean  she  no  longer 
carried  in  her  hand.  Doubtless  she  had  tossed  the  worthless 
thing  aside  into  the  highway,  to  be  trampled  in  the  mud ;  or 
perhaps  she  had  idly  dropped  it  into  one  of  the  brackish 
pools — half  rain,  half  sea-water — out  on  the  dark  rocks  where 
they  had  been  sitting  during  an  enchanted  but  hopeless  hour. 
4 


CHAPTER  X 
THE     SUN-GOD 

Then  the  great  evening  drew  near  on  which  the  McAskills 
of  the  Argyll  Anns  were  to  entertain  the  members  of  the 
Gaelic  Choir  and  other  friends  ;  and  Peter  McFadyen  had 
been  as  good  as  his  word — he  had  procured  an  invitation  for 
Barbara.  At  first  Jess  was  doubtful  as  to  whether  it  would 
be  quite  fitting  for  their  family,  in  view  of  recent  events,  to 
be  present  at  any  such  festivity  ;  but  she  found  that  Barbara 
was  not  at  all  sensitive  on  the  point ;  and  the  compromise 
finally  suggested  by  Mrs.  Maclean  was  to  the  effect  that  the 
two  girls  should  go  to  the  soiree  and  concert,  but  should 
either  come  away  or  remain  for  a  little  while  as  mere  spec- 
tators when  the  dancing  began.  And  Jessie  was  indcfatiga- 
bly  kind  in  looking  after  Barbara's  costume,  and  lending  her 
some  small  trifles  in  the  way  of  feminine  finery. 

"  Every  one  will  look  at  Barbara,"  said  she,  laughing,  to 
her  mother,  "  and  no  one  will  look  at  me ;  so  it's  but  right 
she  should  have  the  choosing  of  anything  I  have." 

And  again  Mr.  McFadyen  was  as  good  as  his  word :  on  the 
momentous  evening  in  question,  and  for  mere  extravagance 
and  display,  he  brought  a  "machine"  to  take  the  two  girls 
round  to  the  Volunteer  Drill  Hall  ;  and  Barbara,  stepping 
across  the  pavement,  found  herself  ushered  into  a  vehicle  the 
like  of  which  she  had  never  entered  before — a  vehicle  with 
luxuriously  cushioned  seats,  and  windows  that  could  be  shut 
up  against  the  rain,  and  lamps  that  sent  a  soft  glow  out  into 
the  black  night.  Mr.  McFadyen,  fussy,  eager,  proud  of  the 
charge  thai  had  been  bestowed  on  him — for  Mrs.  Maclean  had 
begged  to  be  allowed  to  remain  at  home — was  in  the  highest, 
of  spirits;  and  there  were  more  triumphs,  more  feats  of  prow- 
ess, to  announce:  Gilmourhad  again  been  beaten  on  the  links 
that  very  afternoon. 


THE    SUN-GOD  75 

"  It's  the  Pinnacle,"  cried  Peter,  chuckling  and  grinning, 
and  he  rubbed  his  hands  in  delight.  "  It's  the  Pinnacle  that 
bashes  Gilmour  every  time  !  And  the  angry  man  he  is ! — 
smashing  at  the  ball  with  the  lofting-iron,  and  then  grinding 
his  teeth  as  he  watches  it  come  trintle,  trintle  down  the  hill 
again,  right  back  to  his  feet.  Dod,  that  Pinnacle  '11  be  the 
death  o'  the  station-master,  as  sure's  I'm  living  !" 

The  way  up  to  the  Drill  Hall  was  along  an  obscure  back 
lane;  and  in  the  prevailing  darkness  the  "machine"  moved 
cautiously ;  but  at  length  it  stopped  at  the  foot  of  some  steps 
in  front  of  a  large  oblong  building,  and  Mr.  McFadyen  de- 
scended to  hand  out  his  companions.  And  what  was  this 
sound  that  came  from  the  interior  of  the  hall  ?  This  was  no 
feeble  trembling  of  a  jews-harp — this  was  the  shrill  and  war- 
like scream  of  the  pipes  —  it  was  the  "Athole  Gathering" 
that  was  being  played  to  welcome  the  now-arriving  guests. 
The  proud  McFadyen,  when  they  got  up  to  the  door,  would 
fain  have  entered  with  one  of  his  charges  on  each  arm  ;  but 
clearly  there  was  no  room  for  this  ostentatious  parade  ;  and 
so,  as  Jessie  hung  back  a  little,  in  her  usual  fashion,  it  was 
Barbara  whom  he  found  himself  escorting  in — Barbara,  whose 
great,  beautiful  eyes  looked  with  dumb  wonder  and  astonish- 
ment on  this  gay  spectacle — at  the  brilliant  illuminations,  the 
walls  and  ceiling  hung  with  flags  of  resplendent  color,  the 
long  tables  sumptuously  set  forth  and  decorated.  She  was 
bewildered,  but  not  frightened.  She  shook  hands  with  her 
host  and  hostess  without  perturbation.  And  then  the  three 
new-comers  moved  on  to  an  open  space  from  which  they  could 
the  better  observe  the  subsequent  arrivals. 

"  So  you  say  Allan  Henderson  is  not  to  be  here  to-night," 
Mr.  McFadyen  remarked  to  Jess.  "  Why  that  ?  Maybe  he 
thinks  his  clothes  are  not  quite  smart  enough  for  such  a  fine 
gathering." 

Jess  flushed  quickly — perhaps  angrily,  despite  the  habitual 
gentleness  of  her  nature. 

"  He  has  no  need  to  think  of  any  such  thing,"  said  she.  "  He 
would  look  well  wherever  he  went,  and  in  whatever  clothes. 
It's  not  clothes  that  give  a  man  a  distinguished  appearance." 

There  was  more  than  a  touch  of  indignation  in  her  tone. 
And  then  she  went  on  again,  proudly : 


76  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Perhaps  there  may  be  something  of  more  importance  for 
him  to  be  thinking  about  than  a  concert  and  a  dance  in  a  drill 
hall.  Do  you  know  this,  Mr.  McFadyen — that  he  is  preparing 
a  lecture  on  the  Folk-Songs  of  Germany,  and  he  is  translating 
the  lesser  known  amongst  them  himself  ?  Any  one  else  would 
take  the  folk-songs  that  have  already  been  translated  and  be 
content  with  them  ;  but  that  is  not  Allan's  way  ;  he  is  too 
thorough,  too  much  in  earnest,  for  that;  and  suppose,  now, 
when  the  lecture  has  been  delivered  to  the  society,  it  was  af- 
terwards to  be  put  into  shape  and  sent  to  one  of  the  great 
magazines  in  London — and  perhaps  with  his  name  too — that 
would  be  something  for  one  to  speak  of,  and  him  only  a 
school-master  in  Duntroone." 

"You  seem  to  be  very  familiar  with  Allan's  plans,"  said  the 
town-councillor,  rather  spitefully. 

"Then  it  is  not  from  any  boasting  on  his  part,"  Jess  re- 
torted, with  a  fine  courage.  "  It  is  not  boasting  that  he  is 
given  to.  And  some  day  we  may  not  be  wondering  quite  so 
much  that  he  found  something  more  important  to  do  than 
come  to  a  merrymaking  of  this  kind." 

"  Aye,  well,  well,"  said  Peter.  "  Allan  is  a  good  lad. 
There's  many  a  worse  lad  than  Allan,  whether  he  has  a 
small  salary  or  a  big  one.  And  I'll  buy  the  magazine,  yes, 
that  I  will.  I  would  not  be  surprised  if  I  bought  six  copies 
of  it,  and  gave  them  about.  lie's  a  good  enough  lad  is 
Allan."  For  he  would  not  have  had  this  unfortunate  little 
disagreement  continued  on  so  auspicious  an  occasion  ;  es- 
pecially as  every  moment  new  friends  were  arriving,  and  he 
was  eager  to  show  that  he  had  been  entrusted  with  this 
guardianship.  Which  of  the  younger  men  would  have  been 
so  favored  ? 

Meanwhile  Barbara  had  not  overheard  a  single  word,  so 
wholly  engrossed  was  she  with  the  kaleidoscopic  and  many- 
colored  scene  before  her.  But  amongst  all  the  guests  who 
were  now  assembled  there  was  one  whom  her  eyes  followed 
with  a  curiosity  that  at  length  became  a  species  of  fascina- 
tion. He  was  a  young  man  of  about  five-and-twenty,  fair- 
complexioned,  with  close-cropped  curly,  or  rather  waw,  hair 
of  a  lighl  golden  In-own.  lie  seemed  to  be  acquainted  with 
every  one  ;  as  he  went  about  he  was  laughing  and  talking  to 


THE    SUN-GOD 


this  one  and  that ;  he  had  a  happy,  good-natured,  confident 
air ;  he  was  much  at  his  ease ;  his  manner  seemed  to  say  that 
he  was  pretty  sure  of  his  welcome  wherever  he  went.  Then 
what  rendered  him  not  less  conspicuous  was  that  among  all 
the  men  in  the  room  he  alone  wore  evening  dress.  Barbara 
had  never  seen  evening  dress  before — except,  perhaps,  as  pict- 
ured in  some  stray  copy  of  a  penny  illustrated  paper ;  but  now 
here,  amid  these  brilliant  lights,  in  this  fine  company,  it  ap- 
peared to  her  altogether  beautiful.  Beautiful  was  the  fine, 
smooth,  black  cloth  that  seemed  to  show  off  the  young  man's 
figure  so  elegantly ;  beautiful  the  shining  shirt  front,  with  its 
neat  little  single  stud  of  gold ;  necktie  and  collar  and  cuffs — 
all  were  perfection,  and  all  were  worn  with  such  freedom  and 
grace.  In  dress,  in  manner,  in  appearance,  he  was  so  wholly 
different  from  the  others.  Could  he  be  the  son  of  some  great 
laird,  she  asked  herself,  with  a  kind  of  awe.  And  intently  her 
eyes  followed  him  as  he  moved  hither  and  thither,  shaking 
hands  with  this  one,  nodding  to  that — a  radiant  being — an 
apparition ;  had  the  time  come  back  for  the  gods  to  descend 
and  appear  among  men  ? 

And  then  Barbara  found  herself  all  trembling — and  wish- 
ing to  be  away — and  yet  powerless  to  escape.  He  was  clear- 
ly coming  to  this  corner ;  and  quickly,  too ;  he  had  a  card  in 
his  hand. 

"  How  are  you,  Mr.  McFadyen — I've  got  you  at  last,"  said 
he,  and  his  voice  had  a  cheerful  ring.  Then  he  seemed  to 
recognize  the  fact  that  the  town-councillor  had  companions. 
"  Oh,  how  do  you  do,  Miss  Maclean  ?  I  hope  you  are  going 
to  give  me  a  dance  to-night — " 

"  This  is  my  cousin  Barbara,  Mr.  Ogilvie,"  said  Jess. 

He  turned  towards  her  with  the  briefest  glance,  and  bowed. 
The  poor  lass — overcome  by  the  splendor  of  his  presence — 
her  eyes  abashed  and  fixed  on  the  ground — made  some  bun- 
gling little  effort  at  a  courtesy.  It  was  all  she  knew ;  she  could 
do  no  better ;  and  probably  she  was  hardly  aware  of  what  she 
did.  And  most  likely  he  did  not  notice,  for  he  had  turned 
again  to  McFadyen. 

"  We've  put  you  down  for  a  toast,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said 
the  young  master  of  ceremonies.  "  You  have  to  propose  the 
ladies — " 


78  HIGHLAND     COUSIN'S 

"  No,  no  —  na,  na,"  said  Peter,  in  sudden  fright.  "  No 
speech-making  from  me — " 

"  But  why  not  ? — why  not  ?"  remonstrated  the  young  man. 
"You  can  make  fine  speeches  about  water-rates  and  gas- 
lamps — I  read  the  reports  in  the  paper  every  week  ;  and 
you're  the  ladies'  man — you're  the  very  one  for  this  toast — " 

The  councillor  had  been  disconcerted  only  for  a  moment. 
He  was  not  going  to  play  craven  with  Jess  looking  on. 

"  Well,  I'll  not  deny,"  said  he,  pulling  himself  up  a  bit, 
"  that  I  can  say  a  few  words  at  a  fitting  time.  I'm  not  an 
orator,  perhaps — " 

"You'll  do  just  splendid,"  said  the  light-hearted  M.C.,  hur- 
rying away  to  get  his  other  business  finished — and  leaving 
poor  Barbara  with  an  overwhelming  conviction  that  she  had 
been  guilty  of  a  stupidity  and  awkwardness  too  dreadful  to 
be  recalled  or  even  thought  of. 

And  a  very  merry,  happy,  excited,  loquacious  assemblage 
this  was  that  eventually  got  itself  seated  at  the  long  tables  ; 
and  right  gallantly  did  the  town-councillor  proceed  to  look 
after  and  entertain  his  two  companions.  It  is  true  that  at 
times  a  thought  of  his  appointed  speech  would  suddenly  pen- 
etrate him;  he  would  collapse  and  sink  into  himself — no 
doubt  desperately  hunting  in  the  dark  spaces  of  his  mind  for 
impromptus  ;  but  then  again  he  would  rouse  himself  and 
shake  off  these  vain  anxieties,  and  would  strive  to  convince 
his  neighbors  that  for  wit  and  sarcasm  and  apposite  raillery 
there  was  not  one  of  the  younger  men  in  Duntroone  to  come 
anywhere  near  him.  And  Jess  was  willing  to  be  pleased  ;  it  was 
an  animated,  inspiriting  scene — what  with  the  radiant  lights, 
the  festooned  flags,  the  decorated  tables  ;  while  for  variety's 
sake  the  general  hubbub  of  conversation  would  be  broken  in 
upon  at  intervals  by  the  wild  skirl  of  the  pipes — the  three  tar- 
taned  heroes  marching  round  the  hall  playing  "The  Hills  of 
Glenorchy,"  <>r  "  Hoop  Her  and  Gird  Her,"  or  "  Mrs.  Ronald 
Graham's  Welcome  Borne."  As  for  Barbara,  she  sat  as  one 
isolated  and  estranged.  Her  eyes  followed  the  sun-god — cov- 
ertly and  intently  regarding  every  smile  and  glance  and  gest- 
ure. And  she  had  ample  opportunity  for  this  secret  observa- 
tion ;  for  the  young  master  of  ceremonies  seemed  to  be 
looking  after  everybody   but  himself;    he   went    from  table  to 


THE     SUN-GOD  79 

table,  joking  and  laughing,  and  keeping  things  moving  gen- 
erally. And  Barbara's  heart  sank  within  her  when  she  saw 
that  those  women  he  spoke  to — maids  and  matrons  alike — 
were  all  so  splendidly  dressed,  and  had  such  fine  adornments 
about  their  sleeves  and  their  necks  and  the  doing  up  of  their 
hair.  She  became  conscious  that  her  cousin  Jess  and  herself 
were  the  two  most  simply  attired  young  people  in  the  room — 
a  simplicity  that  appeared  to  her  a  distressing  plainness.  Had 
the  sun-god  taken  notice  ?  At  least  he  had  not  stayed  talking 
to  them,  as  he  now  stayed  talking  to  those  others. 

"  Jessie,"  said  Barbara,  at  length — and  her  eyes  were  cast 
down,  and  she  spoke  in  tremulous  hesitation,  "who  was  the — 
the  young  gentleman — that  came  up  to  you  ?" 

Jess  had  forgotten. 

"  Which  one  ?     When  ?"  she  asked. 

"  Before  we  sat  down,"  continued  Barbara.  And  she  vent- 
ured to  raise  her  eyes  a  little.  "  He  is  standing  over  there 
by  the  door." 

Jess  glanced  in  the  direction  indicated. 

"  Oh,  that's  Johnnie  Ogilvie,"  said  she,  blithely.  "  He's  the 
purser  of  the  Aros  Castle.'''' 

Barbara  was  silent  for  a  second  or  two,  gazing  furtively  the 
while. 

"  Does  he  live  in  Duntroone  ?" 

"  Well,  he'll  very  soon  be  living  in  Duntroone,  for  they  put 
the  Aros  Castle  on  again  at  the  beginning  of  next  month.  And 
I  suppose  that  is  why  he  has  come  through  here  to-night — 
though  he  is  a  great  friend  of  the  McAskills  whatever." 
Then  Jess  laughed.  "  But  you  must  not  be  casting  your  eyes 
that  way,  Barbara.  He's  a  fearful  lad,  is  Johnnie  Ogilive,  for 
breaking  young  girls'  hearts — at  least,  so  they  say.  I  do  not 
believe  the  lad  is  any  worse  than  others." 

Here  silence  was  called  for  by  a  tumultuous  hammering  on 
the  tables  that  made  the  crystal  jump,  for  Mr.  McAskill  had 
risen  to  say  a  word  of  welcome  to  his  guests  and  to  ask  them 
to  drink  a  glass  with  him.  And  this  was  the  beginning  of 
the  speech-making ;  but  in  truth  there  was  not  much  of  it ; 
for  there  were  many  things  to  be  got  through.  It  ought  to 
be  recorded,  however,  that  Mr.  McFadyen  acquitted  himself 
well ;  he  was  jocose  within  due  moderation  ;  he  paid  a  manly 


80  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

tribute  to  the  charms  of  youth  and  beauty  ;  and  he  earned 
great  applause  by  saying  he  would  not  detain  his  audience, 
because  they  were  all  looking  forward  to  seeing  those  be- 
witching creatures  who  now  sat  expectant  by  their  side — 
those  divine  creatures  who  were  the  sweeteners  of  man's  des- 
tiny here  below — they  were  all  looking  forward  to  beholding 
those  angelic  forms  to  still  better  advantage  in  the  mazy  in- 
tricacies of  the  dance. 

Then  the  members  of  the  Gaelic  Choir  withdrew  and  reas- 
sembled on  the  platform  ;  the  remaining  visitors  also  rising 
from  the  tables,  to  allow  the  attendants  to  clear  the  hall.  And 
soon  this  large,  hollow-sounding  place  was  filled  with  music 
less  ear-splitting  than  that  of  the  pipes  ;  the  sonorous,  soft- 
ened part-singing  of  the  trained  choir  was  an  admirable  feat- 
ure of  the  evening's  entertainment;  the  guests  could  not  have 
thanked  their  host  in  happier  fashion.  It  may  be  admitted 
that  the  majority  of  these  concerted  pieces  were  of  a  mourn- 
ful cast ;  one  of  them,  in  especial  — "  The  Braes  of  Glen- 
Braon  " — in  its  heart-breaking  wail  seemed  to  give  expression 
to  all  the  sadness  and  loneliness  of  the  remote  and  sea-swept 
isles  ;  but  those  present  were  familiar  with  the  prevailing 
character  of  Highland  minstrelsy ;  they  were  not  too  much 
cast  down  by  those  successive  "  Farewells,"  against  which 
Mr.  McFadycn  had  energetically  protested.  "  Farewell,  Fare- 
well to  Fuinary  1" sang  those  harmoniously  modulated  voices; 
then  came  the  "Lament  of  MacCrimmon" — with  one  wom- 
an's voice  ringing  clear  and  high  above  the  low-rambling  re- 
frain, as  if  it  were  some  wild  note  heard,  through  the  surge 
of  tumultuous  waves;  they  repeated  the  plaint  of  the  distant 
lover — 

" '  0  could  I  be,  love,  in  form  of  sea-gull, 
That  sails  so  freely  beyond  the  sea, 
Vd  visit  Jslay,  for  there  abiding 

Is  that  sweet  kind  one  I  pine  to  see ' " 

— with  many  another  favorite.  Meanwhile  the  great  hall  had 
been  prepared  for  the  dancing;  and  the  pipers  were  awaiting 

the  w  Mid. 

"  SuaS  a1  phiobf"  called  nut,  the  impatient  McAskill. 

And  presently,  after  a  discordant  tuning  up  of  the  drones, 


THE     SUN-GOD 


the  pipes  broke  clear  away  into  "  The  Marchioness  of  Tweed- 
dale's  Delight ;"  and  that  was  the  signal  for  the  choir  to 
come  hurrying  down  from  the  platform,  to  secure  partners,  or 
to  be  cbosen  as  partners,  for  tbe  grand  march  was  about  to 
take  place.  Then  Mr.  McAskill  and  his  sister-in-law  led  the 
way  ;  the  other  couples  fell  in  ;  the  pipers  blew  their  bravest; 
and  down  the  long  hall  went  the  joyous  procession,  every  one 
elated  with  thoughts  of  the  gayety  that  was  about  to  follow. 
There  had  been  enough  of  speech-making  and  of  singing  of 
Farewells;  in  due  course  the  reel-stage  would  be  arrived  at; 
and  the  pipers  would  have  encouragement  to  put  fire  and 
glow  into  the  proceedings,  if  an  occasional  dram  would  help. 

Now  of  all  the  people  here  gathered  together,  only  three 
remained  apart. 

"  Really,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  Jess,  "  I  am  quite  ashamed 
to  be  keeping  you  away  from  the  dancing,  and  you  so  fond 
of  it—" 

"  Not  at  all — not  at  all !"  protested  the  gallant  Peter.  "  I 
undertook  a  charge,  and  I  must  fulfil  it.  And  gladly  too. 
I'm  just  quite  proud  and  pleased  to  stay  here  with  you. 
There'll  be  plenty  of  capering  later  on ;  five  o'clock  will  not 
see  the  last  of  them  out  o'  this  place." 

"  But  if  we  went  away  now,  it  would  leave  you  free,"  said 
Jess ;  and  then  again,  observing  that  Barbara's  attention  was 
so  completely  absorbed  by  the  pageant  taking  place  before 
her  that  it  seemed  merciless  to  tear  her  away,  she  added, 
"  Well,  maybe  Barbara  would  like  to  stay  just  a  little  while 
yet." 

This,  at  all  events,  Barbara  heard.  She  turned  her  great, 
mystic,  appealing  eyes  to  her  companions,  and  said  : 

"  Oh  yes — yes,  I  would  !     A  little  while  more,  Jessie  !" 

For  it  was  not  only  the  pageant;  better  now  than  before 
her  rapt  observation  could  dwell  on  the  young  master  of 
ceremonies,  who  seemed  to  combine  in  himself  all  the  ele- 
gances and  graces  of  youthful  manhood  —  elegances  and 
graces  of  a  kind  she  had  never  hitherto  dreamed  of.  Even 
his  patent-leather  boots — the  wonderful  polish — the  pointed 
and  symmetrical  shape — the  lightness  they  seemed  to  lend 
to  his  step ;  this  also  was  another  marvel,  an  allurement,  a 
mystery  of  fascination.  And  when  the  grand  march  was 
4* 


82  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

over  and  the  pipes  had  ceased,  when  the  band  had  come  on 
to  the  platform,  and  a  quadrille  was  being  formed,  it  appeared 
to  her  as  though  lie  were  the  moving  spirit  in  all  this  brilliant 
throng:  no  wonder  those  finely  dressed  dames,  and  the  younger 
women  with  their  hair  done  up  in  fashionable  ways,  regarded 
him  with  favoring  looks,  and  answered  him  with  smiling 
words. 

But  Jack  Ogilvie,  Purser  of  the  Aros  Castle,  would  have 
been  a  very  poor  master  of  ceremonies  had  he  allowed  these 
three  to  remain  neglected;  he  swooped  down  upon  them,  with 
urgent  remonstrances,  until  Mr.  McFadyen  got  a  chance  of 
interposing  an  explanation  as  to  why  they  were  taking  no  part 
in  the  programme.  Then  the  young  man  went  away  again, 
for  it  was  a  busy  night  with  him.  To  Barbara  it  was  as  if 
she  had  been  in  a  "  dwawm  " — a  dim,  half-conscious  swoon — 
while  he  was  so  near  her,  while  the  sound  of  his  voice  was  in 
her  ears. 

At  length,  however,  the  prudent  Jess  thought  it  was  time  for 
them  to  depart ;  Barbara  mutely  yielded — with  some  linger- 
ing, backward  glances  ;  Peter  McFadyen  had  the  "  machine  " 
in  waiting  ;  and  the  girls  were  driven  home  under  his  escort. 
He  left  them  at  the  open  door — for  he  was  returning  to  the 
Drill  Hall,  where  there  might  yet  be  a  chance  for  him  to 
shine  in  the  varsoviana  or  the  guaracha ;  and  they  entered 
the  house  to  find  the  blithe  little  widow  awaiting  them,  with 
the  inevitable  teapot  on  the  hob. 

"  And  who,  think  you,"  said  Mrs.  Maclean,  as  the  girls  were 
taking  oil  their  things — "who,  think  you,  was  here  all  the 
evening  ?  Who  but  Allan  Henderson  !  Isn't  he  the  sober, 
quiet  lad  to  think  of  coming  to  talk  to  an  old  woman,  when 
you  young  folks  were  away  gallivanting  by  yourselves?  Poor 
Allan,"  she  continued,  as  she  put  the  teacups  on^thc  table, 
"  I'm  afraid  he's  not  very  happy  and  settled  at  present.  lie 
was  wondering  whether  he  should  not  try  another  country, 
where  there  might  be  a  better  opening  for  him.  Hut  we  can- 
not allow  that — we  cannot  allow  that  at  all  !  For  Allan  to 
leave  Duntroone  would  be  just  a  public  calumny — " 

"Is  it  a  public  calamity  you  mean,  mother?"  Jess  inter- 
posed. 

"  Aye,  that's  what   1  said,"  the  widow  went   on,  in  her  com- 


THE     SUN-GOD  83 

placent  fashion.  "  And  I  was  telling  him,  instead  of  going 
to  another  country,  he  should  just  start  a  small  boarding- 
house  in  Duntroone,  so  that  some  of  the  farmers  at  a  dis- 
tance could  send  in  their  children  that  they  wanted  to  have 
regularly  at  school.  Only,  Allan  would  need  to  have  a  wife 
to  manage  for  him;  and  there's  more  than  one  lass  would  be 
willing,  that  I'm  sure  of ;  for  he's  a  good  lad  is  Allan ;  and 
you're  always  saying  yourself,  Jessie,  that  he's  astonishing 
clever,  and  will  do  great  things  yet.  Well,  well,  I  hope  the 
struggle  will  not  bear  too  hard  on  him." 

Barbara  Maclean  took  no  part  in  this  discussion.  She  was 
standing  in  front  of  the  fire,  staring  into  it.  It  was  not  of 
the  school-master,  and  of  the  poor  outlook  of  his  life,  that  she 
was  thinking — there  were  more  luminous,  fascinating,  won- 
derful pictures  burning  in  her  brain. 


CHAPTER  XI 

"  THE    WILD    TEARS    FALL " 

Barbara  Maclean's  household  duties  were  light;  practi- 
cally she  had  the  mid-day  to  herself ;  and  she  had  got  into  a 
habit  of  stealing  out  and  wandering  along  to  the  triple  win- 
dows of  the  chief  draper's  shop  in  the  town,  where  she  would 
stand  gazing  with  entranced  and  covetous  eyes.  This  was 
indeed  different  from  the  "  merchant's  "  store  at  Kilree  ;  here 
were  beautiful  kid  gloves  with  furred  wrists  and  many  but- 
tons, silk  kerchiefs  of  every  hue,  ribbons  and  laces,  boas, 
muffs,  tartan  scarfs,  elegant  black  hats  with  surmounting 
black  feathers,  and  a  hundred  things,  each  more  wonder- 
ful than  the  other.  And  occasionally  a  wagonette  would 
drive  up,  bringing  in  some  family  of  gentle-folk  from  the 
neighboring  country  ;  and  as  mother  and  daughters  descend- 
ed, and  crossed  the  pavement,  Barbara  would  watch  them 
with  an  eager  and  furtive  scrutiny,  marking  every  detail  of 
their  deportment  and  dress.  And  then  she  would  return  to 
the  study  of  this  resplendent  finery — which  was  all  so  far 
away  from  her ;  for  although  her  aunt  had  insisted  on  her 
accepting  a  small  salary,  it  was  merely  to  save  the  girl's  sense 
of  independence,  and  did  not  bring  these  fascinating  things 
any  nearer  her. 

Now  by  some  means  or  other  Allan  the  school-master  had 
become  aware  of  this  trait  in  Barbara's  character,  and  it 
greatly  interested  and  pleased  him.  A  man  is  tolerant  and 
lenient  where  a  woman  has  thrown  the  magic  glamour  of  her 
eyes  over  him;  this  peculiarity,  the  young  school-master  said 
to  himself,  only  proved  her  to  be  a  daughter  of  Eve ;  she  was 
human,  she  was  one  of  ourselves;  she  was  no  impossible  and 
visionary  maiden  come  out  of  the  night  and  the  sea.  And 
on  a  certain  afternoon  he  went  along  to  Jess,  whom  he  found 
at  the  counter. 


"THE    WILD    TEARS    FALL  "  85 

"  Jessie,"  said  he,  with  even  more  than  his  usual  diffidence, 
"if  your  mother  is  in,  could  you  come  with  me  for  a  few 
minutes  to  McLennan's  the  draper's?" 

"  Oh  yes,  indeed  !"  said  the  ever-good-natured  Jess  ;  but 
she  looked  up  wondering :  what  concern  could  the  grave  and 
studious  Allan  have  with  a  haberdasher's  shop  ? 

"  I  want  you  to  help  me  choose  a  little  present — something 
a  young  girl  would  like  —  something  pretty  and  smart,  that 
she  could  wear- — " 

Jessie's  face  flushed  quickly  ;  and  she  seemed  to  draw  back 
in  confusion. 

"But  why  should  you  think  of  such  things,  Allan?"  she 
said,  in  a  tone  of  remonstrance.  "  Why  should  you  wish  to 
give  finery  to  any  one  ?  I  know  your  own  tastes  are  all  very 
simple ;  and  it  is  not  right  for  you  to  be  spending  money  in 
this  way — " 

"But,  Jessie,"  he  answered  her,  though  still  with  a  certain 
shyness,  "  I  am  anxious  that  Barbara  should  feel  she  was 
amongst  people  who  wish  her  well.  She  is  a  young  girl — 
and  still  partly  a  stranger — and  I  was  thinking  if  I  could  get 
something  that  would  please  her — a  little  present  of  that 
kind  would  at  least  show  a  friendly  intention — and  she  would 
understand  it." 

He  did  not  notice  the  swift  change  of  expression — of 
alarm,  almost — that  had  passed  over  Jess  Maclean's  face  the 
instant  he  had  mentioned  Barbara's  name. 

"  Oh  yes,"  she  said,  in  eager  haste.  "  Vou  are  quite  right, 
Allan.  I  am  sure  it  would  please  Barbara.  And  as  you  say, 
she  may  be  feeling  a  little  strange  yet  in  Duntroone.  Oh 
yes,  for  Barbara.  It's  quite  different  with  Barbara.  And 
will  you  be  going  now  ?  For  I  will  get  ready  at  once."  And 
with  that  she  disappeared  into  the  back  parlor,  to  fetch  her 
things. 

He  never  knew  what  keen  arrow  he  had  driven  through 
her  heart.  For  she  was  a  brave  kind  of  a  lass  and  naturally 
cheerful  ;  and  by  the  time  these  two  were  walking  along  the 
pavement,  on  their  way  to  the  draper's,  she  was  making 
merry  over  the  idea  of  the  austere  and  absent-minded  student 
going  to  buy  millinery,  and  was  teasing  him,  and  mocking 
him  with  her  mischievous  eyes.     But  she  wTas  very  friendly 


80  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

all  the  same  ;  and  in  the  shop  her  counsel  was  sage  and 
prudent — for  she  knew  that,  though  his  means  were  scant 
and  his  own  habits  as  regarded  himself  sparing  enough, 
there  was  Highland  blood  in  his  veins,  and  there  was  no 
saying  but  that  he  might  do  something  reckless.  Event- 
ually they  decided  upon  a  fichu  of  black  silk,  trimmed  with 
black  lace,  and  adorned  with  black  glass  bugles.  It  was  Jess 
Maclean's  inward  surmise  that  the  bugles  would  prove  attrac- 
tive to  Barbara. 

Then  arose  the  question  of  presentation  ;  and  here  again 
Jess  unselfishly  came  to  his  aid  :  she  could  see  that  he  was 
awkward  and  unskilled  in  such  affairs,  and  perhaps  also  a 
little  apprehensive. 

"Why  not  come  along  in  the  evening?"  said  she,  "and 
smoke  a  pipe  as  usual ;  and  I  will  send  over  to  the  house  for 
Barbara ;  and  you  can  give  her  your  present  without  any 
great  formality.     Sure  I  am  she  will  be  very  proud  of  it." 

"  That's  what  I  will  do,  then,  Jessie,"  said  he.  "  And  I  am 
very  much  obliged  to  you."  And  then,  having  seen  her  as 
far  as  the  door  of  the  shop,  he  turned  and  made  his  way 
home  to  his  books — or  to  such  wild  fancies  and  hopes  and 
fears  as  would  obstinately  thrust  themselves  between  him  and 
the  printed  page. 

But  he  need  not  have  been  at  all  apprehensive  as  to  the 
manlier  in  which  Barbara  would  receive  his  present.  When, 
later  on,  he  was  in  the  little  parlor,  and  when,  in  answer  to 
a  message,  Barbara  came  over  from  the  house,  any  one  could 
have  seen  that  she  knew  what  was  going  to  happen  :  there 
was  a  tinge  <>f  pretty  embarrassment  in  her  face,  and  she 
shook  hands  with  him  in  a  shy  kind  of  way,  and  for  a  second 
— Oh,  wonder  of  wonders!  —  the  beautiful  dark-blue  eyes, 
from  under  their  jet-black  lashes,  glanced  at  the  young  man 
with  quite  unusual  and  modest  friendliness.  He  was  be- 
wildered—  his  heart  went  beating — so  that  he  could  scarce 
explain  to  her  his  reasons  for  begging  her  to  accept  this 
simple  gift;  hut  Jess  proceeded  to  open  the  small  packet; 
and  Mrs.  Maelean  was  loud  in  praises  of  the  fichu;  while 
Barbara's  mystic  and  unfathomable  eyes  were  tilled  with 
pleasure  when  she  beheld  the  silk  and  the  lace  and  the  glit- 
tering   beads.     Then    she   turned    to   the  young  man.     She 


"THE     WILD     TEARS     FALL "  87 

hesitated.  And  it  was  in  Gaelic  that  she  had  to  speak  her 
thanks  to  him,  the  English  not  coming  freely  enough  or  not 
being  expressive  enough  ;  and  for  another  ineffable  moment 
her  glance  dwelt  upon  him  with  the  kindliest  regard.  And 
if  he  was  bewildered  before,  he  was  bereft  of  his  senses  now. 
He  had  it  in  mind  to  sell  his  books  and  all  his  belongings  and 
lay  out  every  farthing  in  McLennan's  shop.  But  at  this  point 
the  town-councillor  made  his  appearance,  and  something  like 
sanity  was  restored. 

Peter  McFadyen,  as  it  turned  out,  was  an  angry  man.  Nay, 
did  not  some  tone  of  complaint  and  reproach  run  through 
his  tale  of  injury — seeing  that  Lauchie  the  shoemaker  was  an 
especial  friend  of  Mrs.  Maclean's? 

"  I  just  went  into  the  Argyll  Arms  "  —  such  was  his  indig- 
nant story  —  "to  say  to  Mrs.  McAskill  what  everybody  has 
been  saying  ever  since  the  dance,  that  it  was  one  of  the 
greatest  successes  ever  known  in  Duntroone ;  and  I  was  not 
inside  but  a  few  minutes ;  and  when  I  came  out,  here  was 
this  man  Lauchlan  Maclntyre  —  your  friend  Lauchlau,  Mrs. 
Maclean — and  he  was  waiting  for  me  round  the  corner.  Con- 
found his  impudence  !  '  Oh,  Mr.  McFadyen,'  says  he,  '  I'm 
sorry  to  see  ye  gang  that  gate.  You've  been  into  the  very 
anteroom  of  hell.  And  you  a  man  of  poseetion,  that  should 
be  an  example  to  all  of  us  !  But  there  is  time — there  is  time 
for  you  to  hold  back  —  you  may  escape  destruction  yet. 
There's  a  meeting  of  the  Rechabites  to-morrow  night,  and  if 
ye'd  come  with  me,  ye  might  be  persuaded  to  join  us.  Drink 
is  a  terrible  thing,  but  it  can  be  mastered — ' " 

Mr.  McFadyen  suddenly  broke  off. 

"  Aye,  do  ye  think  it  is  a  laughing  matter,  Miss  Jessie  ?"  he 
demanded  —  for  Jess  had  been  quietly  giggling  to  herself. 
"  That  impudent  drunken  scoundrel ! — and  me,  a  town-coun- 
cillor —  and  one  o'  the  most  temperate  men  in  Duntroone. 
Find  me  a  more  temperate  man  than  I  am,  in  the  whole  of 
Duntroone — and  I'll  eat  him  !" 

"  Poor  Lauchie  !"  said  the  little  widow,  with  easy  compas- 
sion. "Sometimes  I  think  he  is  going  to  keep  on  the  straight 
road ;  and  maybe  he  is  that  way  now  ;  but  I  am  never  very 
sanguinary — " 

"  Sanguine,  you  mean,  mother  !" 


88  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"Aye,  just  that.  You  can  never  be  sure  about  Lauchie. 
And  it's  a  bad  sign  when  he  takes  to  the  preaching.  It's  a 
sio-n  he  is  likely  to  break  out  again.  But  he's  not  a  bad  kind 
of  man,  Lauchie :  there's  many  a  worse  man  than  Lauchie." 

Now  the  town -councillor,  when  he  had  made  his  protest, 
and  asserted  his  dignity,  had  no  mind  to  let  Jess  Maclean 
think  that  he  was  one  to  bear  ill-will;  he  dismissed  the  sub- 
ject of  Long  Lauchie  altogether;  and  very  soon  he  was  giv- 
ing his  audience,  with  many  chucklings  of  satisfaction,  a 
description  of  how  he  had  that  very  afternoon  triumphed 
over  all  his  opponents  at  throwing  the  hammer  in  his  back- 
yard. Nevertheless,  he  did  not  wholly  monopolize  the  con- 
versation ;  and  the  chubby  and  chirrupy  little  man  was  sharp- 
sighted  enough ;  it  was  not  long  ere  he  perceived  that  now, 
when  the  school  -  master  addressed  Barbara  Maclean,  she 
turned  to  him  with  a  kindly  and  friendly  attention  she  had 
never  hitherto  paid  him.  And  did  not  Jess  notice?  Aye, 
and  Mrs.  Maclean  ?  As  for  Peter,  he  was  delighted.  If  this 
was  the  way  things  were  going,  so  much  the  better  for  his 
own  daring  schemes. 

"  Dod,  man,  Allan,"  said  he,  as  these  two  were  walking 
home,  through  a  somewhat  wet  and  blustering  night,  "  ye're 
on  the  track  at  last.  Ye've  made  your  mark.  You'll  have 
her.  She's  yours — if  you've  the  courage  to  go  in  and  win. 
I  can  see  it.  I'm  not  blind.  The  lass  is  well  disposed 
towards  ye.  But  ye'll  have  to  speak — yc'll  have  to  speak, 
man  !" 

"  I  understand  what  ye  mean,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  Hen- 
derson, in  his  grave  and  deliberate  fashion.  "  But  these  are 
hardly  matters  to  be  guessed  at  in  so  light  a  way.  One  must 
not  hope  for  too  much,  merely  on  account  of  a  little  friendli- 
ness. And  even  if  what  you  say  were  possible,  there  are 
many  perplexities  around  me  and  ahead  of  me.  It's  all  very 
well  for  you  that  have  a  fine  position,  an  assured  position,  to 
talk  in  the  heroic  strain;  but  I  have  to  consider  that  I  might 
be  draiririiiLC  into  misery  and  uncertainty  and  wretchedness 
one  that's  of  far  more  importance  than  myself — " 

"  No,  no,  man  !"  returned  the  sprightly  councillor.  "Ye 
take  far  too  serious  a  view  of  life.  Young  folk  must  have 
courage  and  run  risks.      And   if  you  don't,  why,  in  the  case 


"  THE    WILD    TEARS    FALL "  89 

of  a  handsome  lass  like  that,  somebody  else  will  be  coming 
along  and  snapping  her  up.  Here,  Allan,  lad,"  he  said,  halt- 
ing— for  they  had  just  arrived  at  his  dwelling-house,  which 
adjoined  his  office — "  ye'll  just  come  in  and  sit  down  for  a 
few  minutes,  for  I've  something  to  say  to  ye  that  may  be  of 
importance  to  ye  by-and-by." 

The  young  man  did  not  refuse.  He  had  no  great  love 
for  McFadyen  —  in  fact,  he  was  rather  inclined  to  treat  him 
with  impatience  and  disdain ;  but  there  were  momentous 
issues  at  stake ;  and  perhaps  some  talk  with  this  older  man, 
who  had  seen  more  of  the  world,  might  make  matters  a  little 
clearer.  So  he  waited  until  Peter  fumbled  in  his  pockets  for 
his  latch-key — both  of  them  no  doubt  looking  forward  to  a 
quiet  and  confidential  chat,  perhaps  with  some  little  solace 
of  tobacco. 

There  was  to  be  no  such  thing  at  this  time  and  place. 
McFadyen  put  the  key  in  the  lock,  turned  it,  and  was  about 
to  enter  when  immediately  behind  the  door  there  was  a  low 
and  savage  growl.  He  sprang  back  incontinently,  dragging 
the  door  to  with  him. 

"  Lord's  sake  alive  !"  he  exclaimed,  when  he  had  partly  re- 
covered himself.     "  It's  that  dog  !" 

"  What  dog  ?" 

"The  bull-dog  I  bought  from  Jamie  Nicholson  yesterday  ; 
and  it  was  to  be  sent  home  this  afternoon  ;  and  that  idiot 
of  a  servant-lass  seems  to  have  left  it  free  in  the  house  in- 
stead of  tying  it  up  in  the  backyard.  What's  to  be  done  ? 
It's  a  fearfu'  beast.  Some  rascals  have  been  stealing  my 
coals,  and  I  thought  I  would  pay  them  out — " 

"  And  the  dog  is  strange  to  you  ?" 

"  I  never  saw  it  but  three  minutes  yesterday,"  said  the  dis- 
tressed councillor,  "and  it  would  not  know  me  from  Adam, 
even  if  the  house  was  not  in  darkness  !" 

Here  the  school-master  broke  into  one  of  those  portentous 
guffaws  that  had  so  perplexed  Jess  Maclean;  he  roared  and 
laughed ;  he  better  roared  and  laughed ;  while  the  coun- 
cillor's temper,  amid  all  his  distraction,  began  to  grow 
warm. 

"  A  man  shut  out  of  his  house  by  his  own  dog !"  Allan 
cried,  with  another  prodigious  fit  of  laughter.    "  Well,  there's 


90  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

but  the  one  thing  for  it.  Maybe  he'll  recognize  you  as  the 
master  of  the  place.     Go  boldly  by  him — " 

"  Go  boldly  by  him  yourself !"  retorted  the  councillor,  an- 
grily. 

"  But  you  cannot  stand  in  the  street  all  night !  Where's 
the  maid-servant?'*' 

"  She's  in  her  bed  long  ago  !" 

"  "Well,  then,  you  must  go  round  by  the  back  and  get  in 
that  way." 

"  How  can  I  ?  What's  the  use  of  talking  nonsense  ?"  an- 
swered McFadyen,  with  savage  fretf ulness.  "  Do  you  think 
I  would  leave  my  coal-ree  open,  when  I  got  this  infernal 
beast  for  the  very  purpose  o'  protecting  it  ?  And  the  key  of 
the  gate's  in  the  office ;  there's  no  way  round  by  the  back  at 
all  !" 

"Well,  then,"  said  Allan,  "you'll  have  to  try  gentleness. 
Go  in  a  little  bit,  and  try  to  humor  him — " 

"  Go  in  a  little  bit  yourself,  if  you're  so  clever  I"  said  the 
councillor,  peevishly. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  Or  will  you  ask  the  police- 
man's advice  ? — there's  sure  to  be  a  policeman  round  by  the 
station." 

"  I  would  not  allow  any  policeman  to  go  into  that  passage 
— it's  as  much  as  his  life  would  be  worth  !"  Peter  rejoined  in 
his  despair. 

"  You'll  have  to  send  for  the  man  who  sold  the  dog  to  you." 

"Yes!  —  very  likely!  —  and  him  at  Taynuilt.  lie  went 
back  to  Taynuilt  yesterday  afternoon." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Allan,  more  seriously,  "  I'll  tell  you 
what  we'll  do.  You  cannot  stand  in  front  of  this  house  all 
night.  You'll  just  come  along  to  my  room,  and  you  can 
have  my  bed,  and  I'll  get  a  shake -down,  or  a  chair's  good 
enough  for  me  in  any  case.  For  you  were  kind  enough, 
Mr.  McFadyen,  to  hint  (hat  there  was  something  you  had  t" 
say  to  me;  and  if  it  affects  what  you  and  1  were'  talking 
about,  I  would  rather  bear  of  it  before  going  to  sleep.  It's 
an  anxious  time  with  me.  There  is  not  much  hospitality  I 
can  offer  you  ;  but  you  are  welcome." 

"  Bare  you  plenty  of  tobacco,  Allan?"  the  councillor  asked, 
still  regarding  his  own  impossible  door. 


"the  wild   tears   fall"  91 

"  Yes,  I  have  that,"  responded  the  younger  man.  "  It's  the 
one  thing  I  can  offer  you.'" 

"  Well  and  good,  then,"  said  he  ;  but  before  he  turned 
away  to  follow  his  companion,  and  while  he  was  still  con- 
templating the  shut  door,  he  added,  bitterly,  "  You'll  see  if 
I  haven't  that  beast  chained  up  to-morrow,  if  there's  a  black- 
smith in  Duntroone  can  fasten  a  rivet  into  a  stone  wall." 

Meanwhile  the  two  girls  and  Mrs.  Maclean  had  shut  the 
shop,  and  gone  over  the  way,  and  partaken  of  their  frugal 
supper,  and  were  now  enjoying  a  friendly  chat  along  with 
their  needle-work  and  knitting.  Barbara  was  evidently  great- 
ly elated  over  her  present,  and  was  more  talkative  than  usual ; 
and  Jess,  who  knew  not  grudging,  was  cheerfully  responsive. 
Then  the  little  widow  kept  throwing  out  merry  and  myste- 
rious hints. 

"  Ave,  indeed,  Barbara,"  said  she,  as  she  was  busy  with  her 
needle,  "  ye  may  well  set  yourself  up.  There  may  be  more 
in  that  present  than  you're  dreaming  of  yet.  For  Allan  Hen- 
derson has  so  far  paid  but  little  heed  to  the  young  lasses 
about ;  and  they've  rather  been  inclined  to  look  aslant  at 
him,  and  toss  their  head,  for  you  know  the  old .  saying : 
'  Crone,  will  you  have  the  king  ?  I  will  not,  as  he  loonH 
have  me.''  And  so  the  king  has  thrown  the  handkerchief  at 
last,  has  he  ?  Well,  well !  And  what  will  they  say  now,  all 
them  he  has  passed  over?  Not  a  lass  in  Duntroone  good 
enough  for  him,  but  the  minute  one  comes  in  from  the  outer 
isles,  the  misan — the  misanthrope  comes  out  of  his  cell,  and 
all  the  world  is  changed,  and  there's  a  miracle  for  you  !  Well, 
well,  indeed !" 

And  so  she  went  on,  and  Jess  listened  in  silence.  For  the 
girl  had  long  ago  given  up  any  secret  and  wistful  hope  that 
Allan  might  look  her  way  ;  nay,  she  had  argued  and  steeled 
herself  into  the  belief  that  she  ought  to  set  herself  resolutely 
against  any  such  thing,  even  if  it  were  possible.  She  had 
formed  other  plans  for  him;  she  knew  something  of  his  am- 
bitions. Duntroone  was  no  place  for  him.  lie  was  to  go 
away  ;  he  was  to  win  to  the  front ;  he  was  to  conquer  Lon- 
don ;  and  when  he  was  become  a  great  man  and  famous,  per- 
haps he  might  have  a  single  backward  and  friendly  thought 


92  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

for  that  cousin  Jess  who  had  believed  in  him  and  urged  him 
on.  And  in  the  meantime,  and  with  pride  and  with  a  warm 
sisterly  affection,  she  would  watch  his  career. 

Apparently  this  was  a  very  happy  evening.  But  that  same 
night,  in  the  mid-watches,  in  the  darkness,  Jess  was  lying 
awake.  And  at  such  times  the  nerves  are  apt  to  get  unstrung 
and  fall  away  from  their  ordinary  firmness  ;  self-control  is  not 
so  easy  ;  and  certain  dreams  that  she  had  been  ready  enough 
to  sacrifice  in  her  auguries  of  his  great  future  would  come 
back  unbidden ;  also  some  lines  she  had  read  in  an  American 
magazine,  that  had  seemed  to  her  to  have  in  them  a  curious 
suggestion  of  Celtic  remoteness  and  solitariness  and  lono-ing. 
Why  would  the  Irish  girl's  song  so  haunt  her  brain  ? — 

"  /  try  to  knead  and  .spin,  but  my  life  is  loiv  the  while  ; 
Oh,  I  long  to  be  alone,  and  walk  abroad  a  mile  ; 
Yet  when  I  walk  alone,  and  tliink  of  naught  at  all, 
Why  from  me  that's  young  should  the  icild  tears  fall  ? 

"  The  cabin  door  looks  down  a  furze-lighted  hill, 
And  far  as  Leighlin  cross  the  fields  are  green  and  still; 
But  once  I  hear  a  blackbird  in  Leighlin  hedges  call, 
The  foolishness  is  on  me,  and  the  wild  tears  fall!" 

Well,  the  "  foolishness "  was  on  her,  and  she  buried  her 
head  in  the  pillow,  that  was  soaked  with  her  tears,  and  she 
made  desperate  efforts  to  subdue  her  sobbing.  For  Barbara 
was  in  the  other  bed,  and  she  would  not  waken  Barbara  with 
this  unavailing  grief — Barbara,  who  was,  no  doubt,  placidly 
dreaming  of  draper's  windows  and  black  glass  bugles. 


CHAPTER   XII 
IN    SORE    STRAITS 

The  apartment  into  which  the  school-master  ushered  his 
guest  bore  evidence  of  a  hard  and  rigid  economy,  not  to  say 
downright  penury.  There  was  no  fire  in  the  grate ;  there 
was  but  the  one  gas-jet;  the  furniture  was  scant  and  bare. 
There  were  piles  of  books,  to  be  sure,  but  they  were  all  work- 
like volumes  ;  not  a  gay  binding  among  them. 

"  Now  this  is  what  I  like  to  see,"  said  McFadyen,  rubbing 
his  hands  with  satisfaction  as  he  took  a  seat  and  looked 
around.  "  This  is  what  I  like  to  see.  And  I  know  what  it 
means.  When  I  observe  a  young  man  that's  sober  and  in- 
dustrious, and  that  has  got  a  reasonable  salary — when  I  ob- 
serve him  living  pinched  and  poor,  then  I  know  what  it 
means :  he's  saving  up  to  get  married." 

"  It  has  not  been  like  that  with  me,  then,  Mr.  McFadyen," 
the  younger  man  said,  as  he  produced  a  small  jar  of  tobacco, 
the  only  luxury  in  the  place.  "  I've  had  to  pay  back  to  my 
folks  at  home  what  they  lent  me  for  the  classes — and  that 
was  the  least  part  of  what  I  owed  and  owe  them.  And  then 
I  undertook  the  schooling  of  my  two  younger  brothers  ;  but 
one  of  them  has  just  got  a  situation,  and  the  other  one  will 
soon  be  looking  about  too  ;  so  that  I  may  find  myself  a  little 
freer — " 

"  Exactly  that !"  said  the  councillor,  cheerfully.  "  Some- 
thing freer  to  tackle  the  great  problem — the  choosing  your- 
self a  mate.  It's  what  we  are  all  bent  on,  though  some  may 
be  a  little  later  than  others — " 

"  And  it  will  have  to  be  a  little  later,  if  ever,  with  me," 
rejoined  Allan — who  was  in  an  unusually  confidential  mood : 
he  did  not  often  deign  to  speak  of  his  private  affairs.  "  In 
my  position  how  could  I  ask  any  young  girl  to  take  such  a 
risk  f ' 


94  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  God  bless  my  soul !"  cried  the  other  ;  "  did  ye  never  hear 
of  such  a  thing  as  life-insurance  ?" 

"  That  is  some  safeguard  for  the  future,  no  doubt.  But 
the  question  is  as  to  the  meantime.  And  if  I  were  to  ask 
any  girl  to  look  my  way,  I  should  have  to  tell  her  my  present 
prospects ;  and  what  inducement  could  I  lay  before  her — " 

"  Tuts,  tuts,  tuts,  man  !"  broke  in  the  happy  and  hopeful 
Peter.  "That's  no  the  way  to  talk!  Do  ye  think  a  young 
lass  is  to  be  won  over  by  a  parade  of  gilded  furniture  ?  It's 
not  that  she  has  in  her  mind  when  her  fancy  settles  on  a  lad. 
Na,  na.  It's  not  that  will  tempt  her  to  kilt  up  her  coats  o' 
green  satin,  like  Leezie  Lindsay,  and  be  off  with  him  through 
bush  and  brier.  It's  love  well  won,  and  the  world  well  lost — 
that's  more  like  the  ticket,  man!  Prospects?  Life-insurance? 
Is  that  what  you  think  she  has  in  her  mind  ?  Is  that  what 
she  answers  when  he  asks  her  the  great  question  ?  Not  a  bit. 
This  is  more  like  what  her  answer  '11  be — "  And  here  the 
councillor  raised  his  hand  triumphantly,  and  sang  in  a  brave 
fashion,  and  with  many  trills — 

'"  Gang  down  the  burn,  Davie,  love, 
Down  the  burn,  Davie,  love, 
Gang  down  the  burn,  Davie,  lovey 
And  I  will  follow  theeP  " 

Then  Peter  moderated  his  enthusiasm. 

"  Listen  to  me,  Allan.  I  will  not  conceal  from  ye  that  I 
sometimes  thought  ye  had  other  intentions,  when  ye  came  so 
much  about  the  widow's  shop.  And  then  again  I  said  to  my- 
self, No,  it  was  only  that  you  were  related  to  the  family,  and 
maybe  you  had  not  too  many  friends  in  the  town,  and  it  was 
but  natural  ye  should  foregather  with  your  own  kith  and  kin. 
Anil  yet  again  1  would  say  to  myself,  Yes,  there's  danger: 
lie's  ;t  young  m;m,  lie  has  eyes,  he  cannot  fail  to  see  what  a 
fine  creature  Jessie  Maclean  is — so  good-humored  and  clever 
and  bright-looking — just  one  in  twenty  thousand — " 

"Yon    may   say   that,  Mr.  McFadyon,"  observed  the  young 

^'•1 1  -master,  gravely.      "  Aye,  or  one  in  fifty  thousand." 

■  I  iut  now  that  I  see  your  thoughts  are  turned  in  another 
direction,"  continued  the  councillor,  "it's  a  great  relief  to 
me  ;  for,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I'm  not  without  hopes  that  I 


IN    SORE    STRAITS  95 

might  get  Jessie  for  myself.  That  would  be  a  fine  ploy, 
wouldn't  it? — the  two  weddings  on  the  same  day  !  And  I'll 
tell  ye  what  I'll  do  with  ye,  Allan,  lad,  just  to  '  mak  sikker.' 
Mrs.  Maclean  says  your  best  chance  is  to  get  married,  and 
start  a  boarding-house  for  scholars  sent  in  from  the  country. 
And  that  would  need  some  little  capital — the  plenishing  and 
what  not.  Very  well;  I'm  not  a  rich  man;  but  I  have  a  bit 
of  a  nest-egg  laid  by  ;  and  I  wouldna  mind  lending  you  fifty 
pounds,  or  even  one  hundred  pounds,  to  help  you  at  the  start. 
And  I'm  sure  if  there  was  an  understanding  between  Jessie 
and  me,  she  would  not  grudge  it  either.  She's  a  half-cousin 
of  yours;  and  you've  been  great  friends  together;  I'm  sure 
she  would  not  object — " 

A  quick  flush  had  come  over  Allan's  forehead. 

"  I  thank  ye,  I  thank  ye,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  he  said,  hastily, 
and  with  lowering  brows.     "  But  it  is  not  to  be  thought  of." 

And  therewith  he  closed  his  mouth  and  would  say  no 
further  word  about  these  poor  affairs  of  his  :  so  that  Peter, 
who  was  evidently  in  a  state  of  buoyant  anticipation,  was 
forced  to  talk  about  his  own  share  in  this  great  project,  and 
to  describe  those  personal  qualifications — physical  strength, 
skill,  tact,  knowledge  of  the  world,  and  the  like  —  which,  as 
he  contended,  were  fairly  entitled  to  put  the  mere  question 
of  years  aside.  And  then,  becoming  still  more  sanguine,  he 
grew  enthusiastic  over  the  delights  of  courtship,  and  the  en- 
chantments of  love's  young  dream. 

Now,  although  Allan  Henderson  had  somewhat  rudely  and 
abruptly  repulsed  this  friendly  offer,  it  was  nevertheless  a 
wonderful  thing  for  him  to  think  of,  that  one  or  two  on-look- 
ers  had  actually  been  considering  the  possibility  of  Barbara's 
being  favorably  inclined  towards  him.  All  through  the  un- 
congenial toil  of  the  next  day  there  ran  as  it  were  little  flash- 
es of  roseate  flame  ;  his  eyes  would  become  blind  to  those 
monotonous  forms  and  their  occupants  ;  the  gray  hours  had 
occasional  startling  moments  when  the  outside  world  was 
revealed  to  him  as  in  a  vivid  dream.  And  when  at  last  it 
was  all  over,  when  he  could  emerge  into  the  clearer  air,  in- 
stead of  returning  to  his  lodging,  he  struck  away  on  a  solitary 
ramble  by  sea  and  shore  :  there  was  a  lifetime  of  contingencies 
to  be  faced  and  resolutely  examined,  so  long  as  that  was  pos- 


96  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

sible,  while  those  quivering,  rose-tinted  flashes — those  fasci- 
nating and  elusive  will-o'-the-wisps — would  break  in  upon  his 
sight  and  bewilder  him. 

He  left  the  town  by  way  of  the  harbor,  climbed  the  Gal- 
lows Hill,  and  proceeded  along  the  edge  of  the  steep  cliffs 
overlooking  the  sea.  The  rain  of  the  previous  night  and 
morning  had  long  ago  ceased ;  the  clouds  were  now  banked 
up ;  there  was  a  brooding  silence  ;  the  click  of  the  oars  of  a 
small  boat  crossing  the  bay  could  be  distinctly  heard,  even 
at  this  height.  And  in  the  prevailing  calm  of  sky  and  sea 
and  mountain  there  was  something  that  seemed  in  a  measure 
to  allay  the  agitation  of  his  mind  ;  there  was  peace  in  those 
great  spaces  of  the  universe ;  a  quiet  that  conduced  to  a 
serener  and  saner  contemplation.  Wild  hopes  were  dazzling 
and  exciting  things,  no  doubt ;  but  the  destruction  of  them 
could  also  be  met  and  endured,  by  a  man. 

As  it  chanced,  he  had  been  so  profoundly  plunged  in  these 
meditations  that  he  had  followed  the  coast-line  too  mechan- 
ically, and  now  he  came  to  the  brink  of  a  chasm  that  struck 
inland  for  some  little  way.  He  did  not  think  it  worth  while 
going  round  in  order  to  continue  his  route ;  instead  he  sat 
down  on  the  verge  of  this  deep  cavity,  letting  his  legs  dangle 
over ;  and  there  he  gave  himself  up  to  still  further  wrestling 
with  the  problems  and  distractions  that  beset  him.  For  one 
thing,  if  he  were  to  incur  these  great  responsibilities,  he 
would  have  to  give  up  many  cherished  ambitions  —  some 
snatch  of  foreign  travel,  the  issue  of  his  version  of  the 
Nibelungenlied,  and  the  like:  towards  which  he  had  been 
hoarding  up  his  savings.  But,  after  all,  what  were  such 
trivial  considerations  when  compared  with  the  very  crown 
and  joy  of  life,  supposing  that  were  now  to  be  put  within 
his  reach?  He  could  hardly  believe  it  possible.  He  had 
been  bewildered  out  of  his  calmer  judgment  by  this  sudden 
friendliness  she  had  shown  him  during  hut  one  evening. 
Was  it  not  too  much  to  hope  for  that  the  one  creature  in 
the  world  whom  he  longed  to  have  for  his  life-companion 
should  on  her  part  turn  towards  him  and  choose  him  out 
from  among  all  others!  How  could  such  a  thing  happen! 
It  was  incredible.  It  was  too  marvellous  a  coincidence. 
Yet  what  of  the  marriages  of  the  people  lie  saw  around  him  ? 


IN    SORE     STRAITS  97 

In  what  proportion  of  cases — or  in  every  case — had  the  man 
and  the  woman  found  each  other  in  this  inscrutable,  inexpli- 
cable way  ? 

And  so,  with  his  underlip  firmly  set,  his  forehead  drawn 
together,  and  his  eyes  distant,  he  sat  and  pondered;  until 
at  length  he  appeared  to  make  an  effort  to  throw  off  this 
weight  of  thinking  in  a  determination  to  arise  and  get  home : 
it  was  long  past  the  hour  for  his  chief  daily  meal.  But  at 
this  moment,  whether  it  was  that  his  foot  had  been  resting 
on  some  loose  stone,  or  that  his  leg  had  got  benumbed,  as  he 
attempted  to  get  up  something  seemed  to  give  way  beneath 
him,  and  the  next  instant  he  found  himself  slipping  down  a 
few  inches.  He  caught  at  the  nearest  object — it  was  a  small 
rowan  bush — to  steady  himself ;  but  the  bush  came  away  in 
his  grasp :  nay,  this  very  movement  appeared  to  make  his 
case  worse,  and  he  felt  himself  helplessly  going.  Then  he 
threw  himself  back,  and  thrust  out  both  hands  in  some  des- 
perate endeavor  to  grip  anything  that  would  check  his  de- 
scent ;  he  clutched  and  clung,  but  all  to  no  purpose,  for  the 
sides  of  this  chasm  were  almost  sheer ;  and  the  next  thing 
he  knew — or  half  knew — was  that  he  was  hurtling  down  into 
this  black  hole — then  came  a  dull  crash — a  sharp  agony  of 
pain — then  silence — and  a  strange,  not  unblissful  sinking  out 
of  consciousness. 

When  he  came  to  himself  again,  stunned  and  dazed,  he 
slowly  and  gradually  became  aware  of  his  position.  He  was 
at  the  bottom  of  one  of  those  fissures  in  the  conglomerate 
rock  that  abound  along  this  coast,  and  that  mostly  run  down 
to  the  sea.  This  one  also  trended  towards  the  shore ;  but 
there  was  no  escape  for  him  that  way  ;  for  the  mouth  of  the 
cavern  was  barred  by  an  enormous  mass  of  the  same  rock. 
However,  he  was  not  much  alarmed.  He  would  be  able  to 
scramble  up  again,  somewhere  or  other.  The  sides  of  the 
chasm,  if  they  were  steep,  were  not  at  all  bare  :  there  was  a 
kind  of  stunted  vegetation — bits  of  rowan  bushes,  heather, 
birch,  and  broom — between  him  and  the  strip  of  daylight ; 
he  would  choose  his  upward  path  when  his  head  was  a  little 
clearer. 

Then  he  essayed  to  rise  ;  but  to  his  consternation  he  found 
himself  incapable  of  movement,  or  only  of  such  movement 
5 


98  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

as  caused  him  indescribable  torture.  The  truth  flashed  in 
on  him.  Something  was  broken.  And  then  for  a  moment 
a  frantic  resolve  to  get  out  of  this  death-trap  possessed  him 
— at  any  cost  of  agony  he  must  win  up  to  the  open  again — 
surely  he  could  drag  the  broken  limb  from  point  to  point, 
until  his  fingers  clasped  the  edge,  and  he  could  raise  himself 
into  the  blessed  freedom  of  the  outer  world.  And  again  and 
again  he  tried,  making  superhuman  efforts,  and  again  and 
again  he  was  baffled  by  overmastering  pain ;  until  he  sank 
back  exhausted  and  half  -  despairing  on  his  narrow  bed  of 
withered  and  sodden  fern.  Thus  he  lay  for  a  while  spent 
and  done  ;  but  of  a  sudden  something  occurred  that  caused 
his  heart  to  leap.  There  was  a  sound  in  the  road  below — 
the  road  that  skirted  the  shore  ;  the  footfalls  drew  nearer ; 
he  could  even  in  a  dull  kind  of  way  hear  voices — apparently 
the  voices  of  two  men.  Surely  this  meant  rescue  for  him. 
And  when  he  judged  that  the  men  were  about  opposite  to 
him,  he  called  and  shouted ;  but  even  as  he  did  so  he  had  a 
dreadful  consciousness  that  the  shouts  were  muffled  —  that 
they  did  not  seem  to  travel  out  of  this  cavern.  Nevertheless 
he  continued  to  call  as  loudly  as  he  could;  until  the  footfalls 
gradually  ceased ;  and  he  was  left  once  more  with  silence, 
and  the  gathering  over  of  the  twilight. 

lie  began  to  reason  with  himself  against  unnecessary  dis- 
may, lie  was  not  much  more  than  two  miles  from  the  town. 
Some  children  would  be  sure  to  come  wandering  along,  if  not 
this  evening  then  on  the  following  morning  or  afternoon.  Or 
a  shepherd's  dog  would  discover  him,  and  its  barking  would 
fetch  its  master  to  his  aid.  Or  surely,  when  his  friends  missed 
him  from  his  usual  haunts,  they  would  organize  a  search  party. 
So  long  as  he  retained  some  power  of  calling  to  any  chance 
passer-by,  he  would  not  abandon  himself  to  despair  :  what- 
ever might  happen,  a  stout  heart  could  not  harm. 

Night  came  early  over  this  deep  gap  ;  and  the  darkness 
.sci' d  to  last  for  ever  and  ever,  lie  listened  to  the  moan- 
ing of  the  wind  in  the  bushes  overhead,  and  to  the  long-pro- 
tracted hiss  of  the  waves  along  the  shore.      Towards  morning 

— he  guessed  it  must  l»e  towards  morning,  after  those  im- 
measurable hours — a  few  small  silver  points  began  to  glim- 
mer in   the   black   opening  above  ;   but  the   starlight  was  of 


"  HE    CAUGHT    AT   THE    NEAREST    OBJECT    TO    STEADY    HIMSELF  " 


IN    SORE    STRAITS  99 

little  use  to  him  except  in  so  far  as  it  showed  the  skies  were 
clearing.  Further  hours,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  passed  ;  and 
then,  with  a  great  rejoicing  and  reawakening  of  hope,  he  per- 
ceived that  the  dawn  was  really  drawing  near.  Stealthily, 
imperceptibly,  such  strip  of  the  heavens  as  he  could  see  be- 
came of  a  pearly  blue-gray.  A  little  while,  and  that  was 
more  opalescent  in  tone.  Again,  a  touch  of  saffron  appeared 
— soft  and  distant  and  luminous :  some  bit  of  slowly  moving 
vapor  looking  over  to  the  opening  east.  Finally  the  new  day 
declared  itself,  in  a  splendor  of  mottled  rose-gray  clouds — 
and  he  thought  of  the  happy  folk  in  Duntroone. 

No,  he  would  not  give  in.  Down  here  in  the  cold-hued 
twilight,  amid  the  livid  greens  and  the  wet  russet  of  the 
bracken,  there  were  thin  threads  of  half-melted  snow  here 
and  there  ;  and  some  of  these  he  could  reach  ;  and  very  wel- 
come was  the  chill  moisture  to  his  parched  lips.  Then  again, 
as  the  morning  wore  on,  there  was  the  distraction  of  listening 
to  the  occasional  faint  sounds  in  the  road  below  ;  but  he  had 
abandoned  all  hope  of  aid  from  that  quarter  ;  he  knew  he 
could  not  make  himself  heard.  His  only  chance  was  in  at- 
tracting the  attention  of  some  one  passing  along  the  summit 
of  the  cliffs ;  and  so  from  time  to  time,  at  random,  he  called 
aloud,  and  paused  to  listen.  But  hour  after  hour  went  by, 
and  no  one  came  near.  At  times  he  grew  faint.  There  was 
an  odor  from  some  decayed  herb  —  St.  John's-wort,  most 
likely — that  seemed  to  stifle  him.  Now  and  again  it  appeared 
to  him  that  he  was  becoming  light-headed;  the  strangest 
fancies  crowded  into  his  brain  ;  he  was  possessed  with  a  wild 
desire  to  shout  songs — students'  songs  :  "  Gaudeamus"  "  Vive 
la  compagnie  ;"  and  even  dafter  ditties  than  these — 0  tem- 
pora  !  0  mores  ! — Per  secale  obvenisset,  Corpus  corpori.  He 
had  had  no  food  since  the  previous  morning ;  his  wild  efforts 
to  drag  himself  out  of  this  abyss — the  agony  he  had  endured 
— had  left  him  hopelessly  weak ;  and  now,  with  these  deliri- 
ous impulses  and  imaginations  taking  possession  of  him,  he 
could  only  say  to  himself,  "  If  my  senses  go  from  me,  that 
will,  indeed,  be  the  end." 

And  thus  it  was  that  when,  some  time  during  the  afternoon, 
he  saw  a  head  cautiously  protrude  itself  through  the  twigs 
and  withered  grass  at  the  top  of  the  chasm,  he  did  not  be- 


100  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

lieve  there  was  anything  or  anybody  there.  That  was  but 
another  of  the  fantastic  visions  that  had  begun  to  haunt  him. 
Nevertheless,  he  called  out  as  hitherto  he  had  been  calling 
out  at  intervals — though  now  not  so  loudly  as  heretofore,  for 
he  was  enfeebled  and  listless — 

"  Help  !  help  !" 

The  head  was  instantly  withdrawn.  But  at  the  very  mo- 
ment of  its  withdrawal  something  convinced  him  that  it  was 
a  real  human  face  that  had  been  cautiously  peering  down,  and 
that  it  was  the  face  of  Niall  Gorach. 

"  Niall  !  Niall !"  he  cried,  with  all  his  remaining  strength. 
"  Come  back  !  Come  back,  man  !  Or  go  and  fetch  some- 
body !     Tell  them  !     Tell  them  I  cannot  move  !" 

There  was  no  reappearance  of  that  mysterious  peering  and 
prying  face  ;  but  he  comforted  himself  with  the  fancy  that 
the  frightened  Niall  had  run  away  into  the  town,  and  that 
soon  succor  would  be  at  hand.  He  waited,  listening  intently, 
minute  after  minute,  half- hour  after  half -hour,  hour  after 
hour  ;  and  there  was  no  sign.  And  again  the  night  fell,  and 
the  dark. 

But  this  blackness  around  him  was  no  longer  like  the 
blackness  of  the  previous  night ;  it  was  all  filled  with  light 
and  color  and  moving  phantasms ;  there  were  sounds  of 
music  also,  some  mournful,  some  gay.  Jess  Maclean  brought 
him  a  pitcher  of  ice-cold  water,  and  he  drank  and  drank, 
and  thanked  her,  and  he  did  not  know  why  she  was  crying. 
Barbara  Maclean  hung  back  a  little  ;  and  he  tried  to  speak  to 
her  ;  but  could  not.  McFadyen  came  to  him  with  a  copy  of 
a  great  review  in  his  hand  ;  there  was  an  article  in  it  on  the 
new  translation  of  the  Nibelungenlied  ;  it  was  a  friendly  writ- 
ing. Again  there  were  students  singing  in  a  room  in  Glas- 
gow— there  was  a  roaring  chorus:  "  The  Old  Folks  at  Home" 
— then  some  one  sang  "  Lieb  Vatcrland,  magst  ruhig  sein  /" — 
and  this  phrase  kept  repeating  itself  more  and  more  distant- 
ly and  softly — viagst  ruhig  sein — inagst  ruhig  sein — until  the 
lights  grew  dim  —  and  the  apparitions  vanished  —  and  there 
was  silence — and  oblivion. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

OUT    OF    THE    DEEPS 

Next  day  about  noon  Niall  Goracli  put  his  head  into  the 
little  crib  of  a  shop  where  Long  Lauchie  was  engaged  at  his 
cobbling. 

"  Mr.  Maclntyre,"  said  he,  in  a  pleading  kind  of  way, 
"  will  ye  gie  me  a  piece  of  leather  to  make  a  sooker  ?" 

Lauchie  looked  up  only  for  a  second. 

"  Away  wi'  ye,  ye  idle  vagabond !"  he  said,  sullenly. 
"  Better  ye  would  take  to  some  work  than  come  asking  for 
children's  playthings.     Away  wi'  ye  !" 

The  half-witted  lad  had  probably  expected  this  rebuff. 
But  he  did  not  go  away.  On  the  contrary,  with  a  cautious 
look  round,  he  advanced  a  step ;  and  then  he  said,  in  a  mys- 
terious voice, 

"  Mr.  Maclntyre,  if  ye'll  gie  me  the  piece  of  leather,  I'll 
show  ye  the  opening  into  the  Bad  Place." 

"  Aye,  ye'll  find  yourself  there  soon  enough  !"  said  the  shoe- 
maker, grimly. 

"  But  I'll  show  it  to  ye,"  continued  Niall,  with  his  eyes 
longingly  fixed  on  the  scraps  of  leather  lying  about  the  floor. 
"  And  they've  got  Henderson  the  school-master  there ;  if  ye 
go  near  enough,  ye'll  hear  him  crying  out." 

"  What's  that  ye  say  ?"  exclaimed  the  now  startled  Lauchie 
— for,  like  all  the  rest  of  Duntroone,  he  had  heard  of  the  inex- 
plicable disappearance  of  the  young  school-master.  "  What's 
that  ye  say  about  Henderson  —  Allan  Henderson,  do  ye 
mean  ?" 

"  Aye,  just  that,"  said  Niall.  "  They've  got  him  in  the  Bad 
Place,  aud  ye'll  hear  him  crying  for  help,  away  down  below. 
And  I'll  show  ye  where  it  is,  and  there's  flames  and  brim- 
stone, and  little  devils  running  about  wi'  their  pitchforks,  and 
the  Big  Devil  too,  and  he  has  fire  coming  out  of  his  mouth — " 


102  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

By  this  time  Long  Laucliie  was  on  his  feet. 

"I'm  no  sure  what  to  believe  o'  your  haverings,"  he  said, 
and  he  paused  irresolutely,  revolving  possibilities  in  his 
mind.  "Do  ye  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  actually  heard  Allan 
Henderson  crying  out  somewhere?" 

"Aye,  that  I  did!"  answered  Niall,  eagerly  —  he  saw  the 
"  sooker  "  coming  within  reach. 

"  Where,  then  ?" 

"It's  a  black  hole  away  down  past  the  Gallows  Hill.  It's 
the  opening  into  the  Bad  Place — " 

"  Come  away  this  minute,"  said  the  shoemaker,  reaching 
over  for  his  cap. 

"  But  I'll  no  go  near — I'll  no  go  near !"  cried  Niall,  shrink- 
ing back.     "  There's  the  Big  Devil — and  the  flames — *' 

"  Ye'll  take  me  to  the  very  spot,"  said  the  shoemaker,  per- 
emptorily. "And  if  I  find  ye've  been  telling  me  lies,  I'll 
give  ye  the  finest  leatherin'  you  ever  got  in  your  life.  And 
that  will  be  better  for  you  than  playing  with  a  sooker." 

It  was  an  unlucky  threat;  for  as  they  set  out  it  was  plain 
that  daft  Niall  followed  with  the  greatest  unwillingness  ;  there 
was  a  curious  furtive  look  in  his  eyes,  as  if  he  were  watch- 
ing for  the  first  opportunity  of  escape.  But  in  the  mean- 
time Long  Lauchlan  was  a  proud  man.  Had  it  been  reserved 
for  him,  then,  to  discover  the  missing  school-master,  while 
all  the  others  had  been  searching  about  and  telegraphing  in 
vain?  And  if  that  were  so,  was  it  not  owing  to  his  shrewd- 
ness in  perceiving  that  there  might  be  some  basis  of  fact  in 
the  murky  imaginings  of  this  half-witted  gangrel  ?  Laucliie 
saw  himself  rising  in  the  esteem  of  Duntroonc,  and  stepped 
out  boldly. 

And  then — for  they  had  got  to  go  round  by  the  railway 
station  and  the  quay  to  get  to  the  Gallows  Hill — his  glance 
happened  to  light  on  the  red-baize  door  of  the  refreshment- 
room.  It  was  a  terrible  temptation  ;  and  instantly  all  sorts 
of  devil's  logic  leaped  into  his  brain.  Was  not  this  a  great 
occurrence?  Ought  he  not  to  fortify  himself  against  what- 
ever might  befall  by  swallowing  a  good  stiff  dram?  It  is 
true  that  his  conscience  as  a  liechabite  said  No.  I  Jut  what 
was  this  conscience,  after  all — this  unbidden  and  unwelcome 
guest  1     His  conscience  was  only  a  part  of  himself;  whereas 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEPS  103 

he  was  the  whole ;  and  surely  the  whole  is  greater  than  any 
part  ?  Why  should  he  be  dictated  to  by  any  mere  section 
of  himself?  Besides,  the  whiskey  of  that  refreshment-room 
was  a  most  superior  whiskey.  And  arduous  duties  might  be 
demanded  of  him  if  the  poor  lad  Allan  had  chanced  into 
trouble.  And — and —  Then  of  a  sudden  he  shut  his  lips 
firm  and  hard ;  he  kept  his  eyes  straight  before  him,  and 
walking  stiffly  and  erect,  he  got  past  the  station. 

The  next  moment,  however,  he  awoke  to  the  fact  that  his 
companion  had  vanished.  He  looked  everywhere  around  ; 
there  was  no  Niall  visible.  He  could  not  at  all  understand 
this  piece  of  deviltry,  until  his  wandering  gaze  fell  on  the 
bridge  they  had  crossed  in  coming  along — a  bridge  that  here 
spans  a  burn,  or  rather  an  open  ditch  ;  and  it  occurred  to 
him  that  perhaps  the  young  rascal  had  slipped  over  the  par- 
apet, clambered  down,  and  hidden  himself  in  that  unsavory 
refuge.  He  hurried  back.  He  searched  hither  and  thither. 
At  length  he  saw  two  elfish  eyes  peering  from  under  the 
archway. 

"  Come  out  o'  that,  ye  limb  o'  Satan!"  he  called,  angrily. 
"  Come  out  o'  that,  will  ye  ?" 

Instead  there  was  an  instant  disappearance.  And  then 
the  baffled  and  irate  shoemaker  began  to  pick  up  stones 
from  the  road ;  and  these  he  endeavored  to  shy  into  that 
dusky  recess.  But  it  was  an  awkward  angle ;  most  of  the 
missiles  struck  the  bridge ;  and  at  last,  seeing  there  was  noth- 
ing else  for  it,  Long  Lauchie  had  himself  to  get  over  and 
scramble  down,  and  make  for  the  twilight  of  the  arch. 
When  at  last  he  had  dragged  Niall  out  by  the  scruff  of  the 
neck,  and  had  him  up  into  the  open  air  again,  he  said: 

"  That's  one  leatherin'  I  owe  ye ;  and  maybe  there'll  be 
six  more  before  the  day's  done.  Ye  imp  o'  Satan,  wi'  your 
witch's  tricks !  But  wait  till  I  get  ye  home  again,  I'll  give 
ye  something  better  than  a  sooker — aye,  aye,  I'll  give  ye 
something  better  than  a  sooker  !" 

And  thereafter  he  drove  him  on  in  front,  the  better  to 
keep  an  eye  on  him  ;  and  in  this  wise  they  climbed  the  Gal- 
lows Hill,  and  made  their  way  along  the  summit  of  the  cliffs. 

In  time  Niall  began  to  move  more  and  more  reluctantly ; 
he  was  evidently  creeping  forward  with  much  apprehension. 


104  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Whereabouts  now  ?"  demanded  the  shoemaker. 

The  daft  laddie  pointed  vaguely  with  his  finger. 

"  Well,  go  on — go  on,  man  !  What  are  you  feared  of  ?" 
said  the  gloomy  and  impatient  Lauchie. 

"  Maybe  they'll  come  out,"  said  Niall,  in  a  whisper,  and  his 
eyes  were  staring  ahead.  "  They  hae  grippit  the  school-mas- 
ter, and  maybe  they'll  come  out  for  us.  They  can  run  quick, 
the  small  ones,  though  there's  no  so  much  flame  about  them." 

"  Get  on,  man,  get  on ! — and  let  me  see  the  place  where  ye 
heard  Henderson  crying  out,"  said  Lauchie ;  and  then  he 
added,  in  a  more  persuasive  tone  :  "  And  maybe  there'll  no  be 
a  leatherin'  for  ye  at  all.  Maybe  I'll  make  ye  a  fine  big  sooker, 
and  when  ye've  got  the  string  into  it,  and  when  ye've  soaked 
it,  it  will  be  strong  enough  to  lift  a  paving-stone  out  o'  the 
street.     Think  o'  that,  now  !" 

But  Niall  was  no  longer  occupied  with  playthings.  His 
eyes  were  full  of  dread — and  his  brain  was  full  of  cunning. 

"  Stand  still,"  he  said,  in  the  same  cautious  whisper — 
"  stand  still  where  ye  are,  and  ye'll  hear  Henderson.  The 
black  hole  is  just  along  there.  Stand  still  and  listen."  And 
as  the  shoemaker  thoughtlessly  obeyed — with  his  own  eyes 
thrown  forward — Niall  seized  the  opportunity  to  dart  away 
from  him,  flying  off  with  remarkable  swiftness. 

Long  Lauchie  uttered  an  imprecation,  and  started  in  pur- 
suit. But  his  cramped  calling  had  left  him  little  of  a  runner; 
whereas  the  half-witted  creature  had  the  speed  of  a  roe  and 
the  agility  of  a  wild-cat.  Moreover,  he  had  no  intention  of 
making  this  a  race  in  the  open.  At  a  certain  point  he  swerved 
towards  the  edge  of  the  cliffs,  and  suddenly  disappeared;  and 
Lauchie,  arriving  a  few  moments  later,  found  that  he  must 
have  boldly  attacked  the  descent,  swinging  from  one  leafless 
bush  to  another,  until  he  reached  the  road  below.  Lauchie, 
under  liis  breath,  called  down  more  curses,  and  in  a  morose 
mood  set  out  to  resume  his  researches  alone.  He  was  nut 
quite  sure  now  but  that  the  imp  had  befooled  him  from  the 
beginning. 

Nevertheless,  to  satisfy  his  own  mind,  he  went  forward  in 
the  direction  that  Niall  Gorach  had  indicated,  spying  every- 
where about  ;  and  in  a  very  brief  spare  he  came  to  the  edge 
of  the  chasm.      At  first,  in  inspecting  this  deep  gap,  he  could 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEPS  105 

make  out  hardly  anything ;  but  in  time,  his  eyes  growing 
more  accustomed,  he  thought  there  was  some  object  of  un- 
usual blackness  lying  away  down  there,  at  the  foot  of  the  nar- 
rowing fissure.  And  the  better  to  examine,  he  laid  himself 
prone  on  the  heather,  just  as  Niall  had  done,  and  pushed  his 
head  over  the  brink  ;  the  next  moment  he  was  convinced  that 
the  huddled  black  mass  down  there  was  human. 

"  Allan — Allan  Henderson — is  that  you  ?"  he  called  aloud. 

Then  he  was  silent,  and  awe-stricken.  For  there  was  no 
answer;  and  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of 
death.  He  stealthily  retreated  from  the  edge  of  the  chasm, 
he  regained  his  feet,  he  set  out  for  Duntroone — something 
frightened,  no  doubt,  but  still  considering  rapidly  in  his  own 
mind  what  ought  now  to  be  done. 

He  had  to  go  round  by  the  railway  station,  and  about  the 
first  person  he  met  was  Mr.  Gilmour,  who  promptly  offered  to 
send  a  couple  of  his  men,  with  a  coil  of  rope.  But  Lauchie 
deemed  it  advisable  to  go  on  and  tell  his  tale  at  the  police-sta- 
tion, and  there  the  sergeant  on  duty  at  once  ordered  two  of 
the  officers  to  get  ready  a  stretcher  and  coverlet.  Finally, 
Lauchie,  after  a  good  deal  of  tracking  from  house  to  house, 
succeeded  in  discovering  the  doctor;  and  the  doctor,  on  hear- 
ing the  story,  immediately  went  home  to  provide  himself  with 
some  splints,  cotton-wool,  bandages,  and  the  like,  and  also  a 
flask  of  brandy.  Thus  equipped,  the  little  posae-comitatus 
set  out,  Long  Lauchie  being  guide.  And  it  ought  to  be  noted 
that  in  these  hurryings  to  and  fro  the  shoemaker  had  to  pass 
the  red-baize  door  of  the  refreshment-room  no  fewer  than  four 
times,  yet  not  once  did  he  succumb.  With  clinched  mouth 
and  immovable  head  he  went  resolutely  by — human  weakness 
only  revealing  itself,  after  each  achievement,  in  a  long,  sad 
sigh  of  resignation. 

It  turned  out  that  one  of  the  railway  servants  had  been  a 
sailor,  and  when  they  arrived  at  the  deep  cleft  in  the  rock,  he 
volunteered  to  descend.  And  a  tedious  and  difficult  business 
it  was  to  get  this  limp  and  insensible  body  hoisted  carefully 
into  the  upper  air ;  but  at  last  the  hapless  young  school-mas- 
ter lay  extended  on  the  heather,  and  the  doctor  proceeded  to 
his  examination.  The  faintest  moan  now  and  again  was  the 
only  sign  of  life  lingering  in  that  prostrate  form ;  there  was 
5* 


106  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

no  movement,  not  even  a  twitch  of  agony,  as  the  doctor  was 
passing  his  hand  over  this  or  that  limb  to  ascertain  the  where- 
abouts of  any  fracture  ;  his  eyes  were  closed  as  in  profoundest 
sleep. 

And  meanwhile  there  were  two  other  persons  who  had 
heard  of  this  discovery,  and  were  now  hurrying  out  from 
Duntroone.  The  one  was  a  strongly-built  elderly  man,  whose 
natural  freshness  of  complexion  was  for  the  moment  over- 
mastered by  a  look  of  vague  and  anxious  alarm  ;  the  other, 
also  with  apprehension  written  in  every  line  of  her  face,  was 
Jess  Maclean.  They  hardly  spoke  to  each  other ;  their 
thoughts  were  too  intent  on  what  might  be  awaiting  them 
ahead.  And  thus  they  hastened  round  by  the  harbor ;  they 
ascended  the  Gallows  Hill ;  they  got  out  on  to  the  bleak  and 
open  and  undulating  moorland.  It  was  a  picture  of  utter 
desolation ;  for  the  afternoon  had  turned  out  wild  and  wet 
and  squally ;  the  livid  green  waters  of  the  Sound  were  dark 
and  driven ;  the  heather  bent  in  waves  before  the  blasts  of 
wind ;  the  sea-gulls  were  calling  and  screaming  in  the  gusty 
and  lowering  skies.  But  into  this  picture  of  loneliness  and 
gloom  there  came  something  still  more  sombre — a  small  black 
group  of  figures  who  seemed  to  be  carefully  carrying  some 
horizontal  object.  It  looked  so  like  a  funeral  procession  that 
Jess  Maclean  uttered  a  piteous  little  exclamation,  and  laid  a 
trembling  hand  on  her  companion's  arm;  but  this  man  with 
the  haggard  eyes  and  the  now  almost  bloodless  face  did  not 
pause;  he  went  forward,  perhaps  a  little  more  slowly;  and 
Jess  accompanied  him,  their  gaze  tixcd  upon  that  gradually 
advancing  train. 

The  doctor  had  lingered  behind,  by  the  side  of  the  chasm, 
to  gather  together  his  surgical  appliances,  and  the  station- 
master  had  remained  with  him.  None  the  less,  when  the  men 
who  were  bringing  along  this  sad  burden  arrived  at  the  spot 
where  the  new-comers  were  now  standing,  they  did  not  wait 
for  orders;  instinctively  they  came  to  a  halt;  they  guessed 
that  the  stranger  who  was  with  Jessie  Maclean  must  be  the 
young  man's  father.  And  at  the  first  glimpse  of  the  gray 
ami  lifeless  features,  and  the  hand  banging  lim]>  and  loose 
from  under  the  coverlet,  a  spasm  of  agony  crossed  the  father's 
face  ;  he  seemed  paralyzed  ;  lie  could  not  step  forward,  nor 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEPS  107 

did  he  ask  any  question  ;  with  shaking  fingers  he  reverently 
removed  his  hat  from  his  head;  and  as  he  did  so  he  mur- 
mured something  to  himself : 

"  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away ;  blessed 
be  the  name  of  the  Lord.  But  it  will  bear  hard  on  the  lad's 
mother." 

It  was  Jess  who  came  to  his  aid.  She  advanced  timidly  ; 
she  took  the  hand  that  hung  so  limply  there ;  and  the  next 
moment  she  gave  a  slight  short  cry. 

"  He  lives  ! — uncle,  he  lives  ! — there  is  hope  for  us  !"  And 
at  this  moment  the  doctor  came  up.  "  Doctor,"  she  said, 
with  tears  swimming  in  her  eyes,  "  is  there  a  chance  for 
him? — is  there  hope  for  us?" 

"  Indeed  yes,  indeed  yes,"  the  doctor  made  answer.  "  Go 
on,  lads,  go  on  ;  but  gently.  Indeed  yes,"  he  resumed,  turn- 
ing to  Jess.  "  Lying  out  for  two  days  and  nights  in  this 
cold  and  wet  weather  is  bad  enough ;  and  the  poor  lad  has 
been  smashed  about  sadly  ;  but  I  know  Allan — I  know  him 
well — he's  as  hard  as  nails  when  he  gives  himself  fair  treat- 
ment. And  we'll  see  him  through  this,  or  I'm  mistaken. 
There's  not  so  much  damage  done — a  simple  fracture  of  the 
leg  and  a  sprained  foot ;  but  there's  the  extreme  exhaustion, 
of  course.     Well,  we  must  hope  for  the  best,  Miss  Maclean." 

"Where  are  you  taking  him  to  now,  sir?"  Allan's  father 
asked. 

"  To  the  poorhouse  hospital,"  was  the  answer.  "  It's  not 
the  best  that  could  be  desired ;  but  it's  the  only  hospital 
we've  got." 

"  His  mother  will  be  sore  grieved  to  hear  that,"  the  older 
man  said.  "  There's  never  been  one  of  the  family  near  a 
poorhouse ;  and  this  one — this  one  was  just  the  pride  of  her 
life." 

"  It  is  mainly  a  question  of  attendance,"  observed  the 
doctor.  "  If  you  would  prefer  that  your  son  should  be  taken 
to  his  own  lodgings,  maybe  I  could  make  some  arrange- 
ment— " 

"  Could  I  be  of  any  use,  doctor  ?"  Jess  interposed,  diffi- 
dently and  yet  anxiously. 

"  Would  you  be  willing  to  help  ?"  he  said,  at  once  turning 
to  her. 


108  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Aye,  that  I  would  ! — that  I  would  !"  said  she,  with  an  in- 
voluntary tremor  of  the  lip. 

"  Very  well — very  well,"  said  he  ;  and  he  stepped  on  to 
give  the  men  altered  directions. 

They  were  now  come  to  the  top  of  the  Gallows  Hill,  the 
descent  from  which  had  to  be  managed  with  the  greatest 
caution.  When,  at  length,  they  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the 
steep  incline,  the  doctor  was  not  surprised  to  discover  that 
Jessie  Maclean  was  no  longer  of  the  company  ;  he  thought 
it  but  natural  she  should  wish  to  avoid  the  publicity  of  walk- 
ing through  the  town  with  this  funeral -like  cortege,  and 
assumed  that  she  had  gone  on  ahead  to  her  own  home.  He 
was  mistaken.  She  had  gone  on  ahead,  it  is  true,  and  with 
great  swiftness,  but  it  was  to  Allan  Henderson's  lodging. 
And  when  at  last  the  doctor  and  his  charge  arrived,  it  was 
clear  how  busy  and  alert  and  dexterous  she  had  been  in  the 
interval.  Allan's  own  room  was  all  smartly  tidied  up ;  the 
gas  lit  —  for  the  dusk  had  fallen  now;  a  coal-fire  burning 
briskly  in  the  grate;  the  bed  carefully  made  and  folded 
down.  Moreover,  she  had  requisitioned  the  adjacent  room, 
which  chanced  to  be  vacant;  and  here  also  the  gas  was  lit; 
while  a  wicker-work  easy-chair  had  been  brought  in,  for  the 
convenience  of  any  nurse  who  might  want  to  sit  up  and 
read  and  listen.  The  doctor,  busy  as  he  was,  looked  round, 
and  nodded  approval. 

Later  on  that  evening  Long  Lauchic  the  shoemaker  and  an 
old  crony  of  his,  Donald  Crane — that  is  to  say,  Donald  that 
worked  the  crane  at  the  quay,  his  real  name  being  Donald 
Macdonald — were  seated  together  in  a  corner  of  a  favorite 
howff  of  theirs ;  and  Lauchlan  was  happy.  It  was  the  stupid- 
ity of  the  people  of  Duntroonc  that  seemed  to  be  amusing 
him  most;  he  laughed  and  chuckled  to  himself;  while  there 
were  glasses  and  a  pewter  measure  on  the  table  before  him 
that  ought  not  to  have  been  there. 

"  Donald,"  said  he,  in  Gaelic,  to  the  crane  -  worker — and 
the  crane-worker  was  a  thin  little  hard  man,  with  a  thin  hard 
red  face  and  steel-blue  eyes — "Donald,  it  is  you  that  have 
some  knowledge  in  your  head.  But  the  other  people  in 
Duntroonc — well,  I  will  give  you    my   opinion   about  the 


OUT    OF    THE    DEEPS  109 

other  people  in  Duntroone ;  and  it  is  this  —  that  they  were 
not  at  home  when  the  sense  was  shared.  To  go  seeking 
away  along  the  shore ;  when  the  school  -  master  was  not  a 
sailor,  nor  a  fisherman,  and  when  it  was  known  he  had  not 
taken  a  boat  anywhere:  was  not  that  the  work  of  fools? 
And  for  a  poor  idiot  lad  to  get  the  better  of  them — well,  I 
am  laughing  at  that,  and  no  mistake!  Donald,"  he  went  on, 
suddenly  pretending  to  be  sober,  "are  you  not  coming  up  to 
Fort  William  with  me  to-morrow  ?  You  will  see  something, 
aw,  as  sure  as  death  you  will  see  something  worth  while ! 
For  I  am  going  to  smash  the  head  of  the  carpenter.  I 
do  not  want  my  wife  back,  and  I  will  not  take  her  back ; 
but  it  is  the  head  of  the  carpenter  I  am  going  to  smash  for 
him — aw,  Dyea,  will  not  that  be  a  pretty  sight !"  He  laughed 
again  and  again,  softly  and  quietly,  in  humorous  anticipa- 
tion ;  then  he  made  a  grasp  at  the  pewter  measure,  but  found 
it  empty.  "  Donald,  my  noble  hero,  we  will  now  have  an- 
other mutchkin  —  aye,  by  the  piper  of  Moses,  we  will  have 
another  mutchkin — and  I  will  drink  your  health.  Donald,  it 
is  you  that  are  the  son  of  my  heart;  and  it  is  you  that  are 
coming  to  Fort  William  with  me ;  and  we  will  see  if  there  is 
not  a  drop  of  Long  John  left  somewhere  about  in  Locha- 
ber !" 

He  reached  over  and  rang  the  bell,  and  a  servant -lass  ap- 
peared. Long  Lauchie  had  broken  out  with  a  vengeance 
this  time. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

A    VISITOR 

So  Jess  was  installed  as  nurse  ;  and  the  "  foolishness  "  was 
no  longer  upon  her ;  she  was  brisk  and  active  and  cheerful 
— especially  cheerful  when  she  saw  that  the  care  she  be- 
stowed on  this  intractable  patient  was  being  rewarded  by  a 
steady  convalescence.  For  the  young  man  had  naturally  a 
tough  and  wiry  physique,  if  only  he  had  allowed  it  a  little 
more  nourishment  and  a  little  less  tobacco ;  and  now  there 
was  no  tobacco,  while  there  was  as  much  nourishment  as  was 
deemed  prudent;  and  the  progress  made  was  in  every  way 
satisfactory.  But  intractable  he  assuredly  was.  He  fretted 
over  the  waste  of  time  ;  he  fretted  over  the  expense  of  certain 
little  delicacies  which,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  never  cost  him  a 
farthing,  for  they  were  sent  along  out  of  the  kindly  thought- 
fulness  of  Mrs.  Maclean  ;  and  he  fretted  over  the  rules  and 
regulations  that  Jess,  under  the  doctor's  orders,  had  to  im- 
pose. Nay,  to  tell  the  truth,  he  was  sometimes  not  over-civil 
to  Jess  herself.     But  she  only  laughed. 

"  A  grumbling  patient  is  a  recovering  patient,"  she  would 
say  to  the  town-councillor,  who  called  frequently. 

It  was  not  his  grumbling  that  hurt  her  and  opened  old 
wounds.  Oftentimes,  when  she  went  in  to  sit  with  him  for 
half  an  hour,  he  would  talk  of  nothing  but  her  cousin  Bar- 
bara; and  the  questions  he  asked  showed  (dearly  enough  what 
was  running  in  his  mind,  and  what  was  the  future  towards 
which  he  was  looking.  He  had  got  it  into  his  head  that  a 
woman  must  necessarily  know  more  of  the  character  and  dis- 
position and  views  of  a  woman  than  a  man  possibly  could; 
and  when  he  was  not  himself  talking  about  Barbara,  he  would 
have  Jess  talk  of  her;  while  Jess,  in  framing  her  replies  to 
his  questions,  naturally  could  speak  no  word  of  Barbara  that 
was  not  hearty  commendation. 


A    VISITOR  111 

"  And  you  say  she  has  courage  ?"  he  proceeded,  on  one  oc- 
casion. "You  imagine  she  would  not  be  afraid  to  face  strait- 
ened circumstances  ?" 

"  As  for  that,"  Jess  responded,  "  she  has  faced  nothing  else 
all  her  life  long  !" 

"Yes,  perhaps,"  he  said,  after  a  moment's  hesitation,  "but 
I  was  thinking  if  she  came  to  consider  the  question  of  marry- 
ing, she  might  very  fairly  look  for  some  better  position — 
some  assurance  as  to  the  future  :  marriage  is  a  big  enough 
risk  in  any  case,  without  any  added  uncertainty — " 

"  She  would  have  to  take  her  chance,  like  other  folk,"  said 
Jess,  a  little  tartly. 

But  Jess  Maclean  went  and  pondered  over  these  things ; 
and  when  in  the  evening  she  took  him  in  his  bit  of  light  sup- 
per, she  said : 

"  Now,  Allan,  you  must  not  keep  worrying  about  your  cir- 
cumstances and  your  future,  as  I  think  you  do.  It  is  merely 
that  this  accident  has  driven  you  to  consider  possibilities  that 
are  never  likely  to  happen.  You  are  none  so  ill  off,  as  it  is. 
Mr.  McFadyen  has  made  it  all  right  with  the  School  Board, 
and  they've  got  a  substitute,  and  you  are  to  put  aside  all 
anxiety  to  get  about  again,  until  you  are  perfectly  well  and 
strong.  Then  there's  another  thing.  You  must  give  up  the 
scheme  about  the  boarding-house.  It  would  never  do.  It 
would  want  a  great  deal  of  capital;  and  there  would  be  a 
great  responsibility  ;  and  if,  as  mother  suggests,  you  thought 
of  taking  a  wife  to  manage  it  for  you,  well,  then,  how  could 
you  go  to  a  girl  and  say  :  '  Will  you  become  my  house-keeper  ? 
I  will  marry  you,  so  that  you  may  look  after  my  boarders  ?'  " 

As  she  spoke  thus  Jessie's  fair  and  freckled  face  showed 
some  color  ;  but  she  was  determined  to  have  her  say  out :  she 
had  more  than  a  casual  interest  in  this  young  man  and  his 
designs. 

"  Now  this  is  what  I  would  advise  you,  Allan,  if  you  think 
it  is  not  too  impertinent  of  me  to  offer  one  like  you  advice 
on  any  matter  at  all.  In  a  town  like  Duntroone  there  must 
be  plenty  of  clever  young  lads,  in  the  shops  and  the  offices, 
who  have  never  had  any  chance  of  the  better  kind  of  school- 
ing, and  perhaps  some  of  them  half  expecting  to  have  a  win- 
ter or  two  at  college  by-and-by.      Well,  now,  why  not  6tart  a 


112  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

Latin  class  for  those  lads — from  eight  till  half-past  nine  in 
the  evening,  or  from  half- past  eight  till  ten?  There  would 
be  no  risk  in  it ;  there  would  be  no  expense  except  the  rent 
of  a  big  room,  and  the  gas,  and  the  price  of  an  advertisement 
in  the  Duntroone  Times  and  Telegraph.  They  would  buy 
their  own  grammar-books;  and  the  fees  would  be  all  found 
money  to  you,  once  the  rent  was  paid.  Now  will  you  consider 
that,  if  you  must  go  planning  and  planning  about  the  future  ?" 

He  was  immensely  grateful.  And  next  morning,  when  she 
made  her  appearance,  he  said : 

"  Jessie,  you  are  the  wisest  creature  in  the  world — and  the 
kindest.  I  have  been  lying  awake  half  the  night,  considering 
what  the  advertisement  should  be,  and  wondering  where  I 
could  get  a  room,  and  how  long  it  might  be  before  I  could 
begin — " 

"  Oh,  indeed !"  said  she.  "  Well,  if  it's  going  to  lead  to 
your  lying  awake  at  night,  I'm  not  for  intermeddling  any 
more  in  your  schemes — or  for  taking  any  interest  in  your 
affairs.     Why  should  I  ?"  she  added,  saucily. 

"  Why  should  you  ?"  he  repeated,  with  a  friendly  glance 
towards  her.  "  Because  I  don't  deserve  it.  That's  the  way 
of  women." 

And  yet  it  was  hard  on  Jess  that  she  should  be  deputed  to 
coax  and  persuade  Barbara  Maclean  into  paying  him  a  visit. 
For  a  considerable  time  he  had  kept  this  secret  desire  of  his 
to  himself ;  perhaps  in  the  hope  that  Barbara  would  of  her 
own  accord  come  along  to  sec  him ;  perhaps  through  some 
fear  that  she  might  he  unfavorably  impressed  by  the  poor 
and  mean  appearance  of  his  dwelling.  But  the  ideas  of  an 
invalid  arc  pertinacious ;  they  grow  in  importance  through 
the  long  hours  of  thinking;  and  at  last,  with  some  little  diili- 
dcnce,  he  revealed  to  Jess  what  he  was  most  of  all  longing 
for,  and  timidly  asked  her  whether  she  thought  such  a  thing 
was  possible. 

For  a  second  Jess  remained  silent.  Then  she  looked  at 
him  rather  askance. 

"Perhaps,"  said  she — "perhaps  you  would  like  Barbara 
to  take  my  place  I" 

He  seemed  startled  by  the  suggestion — but  only  for  a  mo- 
ment. 


A    VISITOR  113 

"  No,  no,"  said  he,  "  I  could  not  be  so  ungrateful.  There's 
no  one  like  you,  Jessie  ;  there's  no  one  could  be  so  kind  and 
forgiving  and  good-humored  in  the  face  of  all  sorts  of  unrea- 
sonableness and  ill-temper  and  ill-treatment — " 

"Oh,  you  treat  me  well  enough,  if  only  you  would  treat 
yourself  a  little  better,"  said  Jess,  bluntly.  "  I  declare  it's 
most  provoking  to  see  you  busying  away  with  your  books  and 
papers  and  pencil,  when  its  stories  you  should  be  reading  if 
you  must  read  at  all.  1  wish  your  mother  were  able  to  come 
through  to  Duntroone,  to  give  you  a  talking  to,  for  my  scold- 
ing is  no  use — you  pay  no  heed.  Well,  I  am  going  along  to 
the  house  now,  to  see  if  the  hlanc-mange  is  ready  ;  and  I  will 
try  and  get  Barbara  to  come  back  with  me." 

And  therewith  she  departed,  leaving  him  to  wait  and  lie 
and  listen,  anxiously  and  half  doubtingly  and  wonderingly, 
for  the  first  sound  of  footsteps  on  the  stairs  without. 

When  Jess  had  gone  along  to  the  house  and  got  ready  the 
carrageen  blanc- mange  for  conveyance  to  her  patient,  she 
turned  to  Barbara. 

"  Barbara,"  she  said,  "  would  you  not  like  to  go  back  with 
me  now,  and  look  in  on  Allan,  and  talk  to  him  for  a  little 
while  ?" 

Barbara  hardly  raised  her  eyes  from  her  sewing. 

"  I  am  sure  that  would  do  no  good,"  said  she,  unwillingly. 
"  It  would  be  more  of  an  annoyance  than  anything  else.  And 
when  he  has  the  doctor  and  the  landlady  and  you  all  look- 
ing after  him,  surely  that  is  enough." 

Jess  hesitated.  She  would  rather  have  avoided  confessing 
that  it  was  at  Allan's  express  entreaty  she  was  making  this 
suggestion.  But  she  saw  no  other  way.  Barbara  was  clearly 
indisposed  to  go. 

"  It  would  be  a  friendly  thing  on  your  part,"  she  said ; 
"  for  it  is  very  dull  for  him  lying  there  day  after  day,  and 
hardly  seeing  any  one.  And — and  to  tell  you  the  truth,  Bar- 
bara, he  asked  me  to  ask  you.  Come,  now  ! — if  it  is  only  for 
a  few  minutes." 

With  evident  reluctance  the  girl  put  her  sewing  aside  ;  she 
got  up  and  fetched  her  out-of-door  things ;  and  presently 
the  two  of  them  had  left  the  house.  But  they  had  not  gone 
over  a  hundred  yards  when  something  happened  that  effectu- 


114  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

ally  aroused  Barbara  from  her  apathetic  acquiescence.  There 
was  a  distant  whistle,  repeated  again  and  again  —  the  echo 
sounding  along  the  shores  of  Kerrara ;  and  by-and-by  a 
steamer  with  flags  flying  came  round  the  point  of  the  main- 
land. Jessie's  pretty  and  gentle  gray  eyes  were  keen-sighted 
as  well. 

"  Barbara,"  said  she,  "  you  have  been  asking  me  some- 
times when  Jack  Ogilvie  was  coming  back  to  Duntroone. 
Well,  now,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  that  is  the  Aros  Castle — 
they  are  going  to  put  her  on  her  station  next  week,  to  Tober- 
mory and  Strontian  on  Loch  Sunart.  And  no  doubt  Ogilvie 
is  on  board  of  her  at  this  minute." 

Barbara  suddenly  stood  stock-still. 

"Will  he  be  coming  ashore?  Will  he  be  coming  along 
through  the  town  ?"  she  demanded,  hurriedly. 

"Very  likely,"  said  Jess.  "The  young  man  lias  plenty  of 
friends." 

"Jessie,"  said  the  other,  quickly,  "  I  have  forgotten  some- 
thing. I  must  go  back  home  for  a  few  minutes.  Will  you 
come  with  me,  or  will  you  wait  here?" 

"  I  will  wait  here,  then,"  said  Jess — for  she  was  at  the 
window  of  the  stationer's  shop,  and  there  were  plenty  of 
photographs  for  her  to  look  at. 

Then  Barbara  hastened  away  back  and  got  to  her  room  ; 
and  the  first  thing  she  did  was  to  get  out  from  a  drawer  the 
handsome  fichu  that  Allan  Henderson  had  given  her.  She 
whipped  off  her  cloth  jacket ;  she  draped  herself  in  that  piece 
of  finery  ;  she  put  on  her  jacket  again,  leaving  it  partly  open 
in  front,  so  that  at  least  a  portion  of  the  silk  and  the  lace  and 
the  bugles  remained  visible.  Next  she  went  to  the  mirror, 
and  rapidly  and  yet  carefully  attended  to  her  hair,  regarding 
herself  from  various  angles,  and  slow  to  be  satisfied.  From 
another  drawer  she  took  out  a  pair  of  kid  gloves  —  whereas 
when  she  first  set  forth  her  hands  had  been  bare;  she  pro- 
vided herself  with  a  silk  parasol  that  she  had  borrowed  on 
Some  occasion  or  another  from  Mrs.  Maclean;  she  had  a  final 
I. n,k  into  the  mirror  at  the  set  of  her  hat  and  its  feather;  and 

when  she  descended  into  the  Street  she  was  quite  a  smart 
young  lady  in  appearance.  The  Aros  Castle  was  now  lying 
alongside  the  quay. 


A     VISITOR  115 

Jessie's  quick  eyes  immediately  perceived  the  change  in 
her  cousin's  attire;  and  she  said  to  herself,  "Now,  that  is  a 
friendly  thing  to  do :  Allan  will  he  pleased  to  see  her  wear- 
ing his  present ;"  and  when  at  length  this  beautiful  creature 
entered  his  room,  and  went  forward  in  rather  a  perfunctory 
way  to  give  him  her  hand,  and  then  retired  to  a  seat  a  few 
yards  back,  the  young  school-master  was  not  only  bewildered 
and  entranced  by  the  mere  fact  of  her  being  there  —  by  the 
occasional  glance  of  those  large,  mystic,  deep  blue  eyes  —  he 
was  also  overjoyed  to  see  that  she  wore  his  gift.  He  made 
no  doubt  it  was  a  piece  of  kindly  thoughtful ness  on  her  part; 
it  was  an  indication  of  the  amiability  and  sympathy  of  her 
nature  ;  it  was  a  token  of  good-will  that  was  worth  all  the 
world  to  him.  He  was  so  grateful  to  her  for  coming — so 
thrilled  and  enthralled  by  the  sight  of  her — that  he  did  not 
take  particular  hee^.  of  her  silence,  nor  yet  of  the  somewhat 
cold  scrutiny  with  which  she  regarded  the  furniture  of  his 
meagre  apartment. 

Indeed,  he  was  all  too  anxious  to  interest  and  entertain  her  ; 
and  for  that  very  reason  he  found  it  embarrassingly  difficult. 
Small  talk  was  not  in  his  way.  What  he  really  longed  to  say 
was :  Do  you  know  how  wonderful  and  beautiful  you  are  ? 
Do  you  know  that  your  sitting  in  that  chair — even  when  you 
are  silent — makes  a  kind  of  splendor  in  this  poor  room? 
But  at  least  he  managed  to  ask  her  if  she  had  been  to  the  re- 
cent practisings  of  the  Gaelic  Choir,  and  whether  they  had 
sung  the  "  Fear  a  Bhata"  or  "  The  Brown-haired  Maid,'1''  or 
any  other  of  the  songs  familiar  in  the  outer  isles ;  and  this 
led  him  on  to  speak  of  his  lecture  on  the  German  Volkslie- 
der,  which  had  actually  been  announced  for  the  15th  of  the 
following  month. 

"And  will  you  be  quite  well  and  going  about  by  that  time?" 
she  asked,  turning  her  great,  glorious  eyes  upon  him. 

"  Oh  yes,  and  before  then,  the  doctor  says,"  he  made  an- 
swer. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,"  she  said,  rather  listlessly.  But 
he  did  not  notice  that :  the  sound  of  her  voice  was  like  mu- 
sic in  his  ear. 

"  And  I  hope  you  will  come  to  the  lecture,  Miss  Barbara," 
he  went  on,  presently.     "  The  committee  of  the  society  have 


110  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

got  the  loan  of  the  Masonic  Hall,  that  has  been  all  newly  dec- 
orated— indeed,  they  say  now  it  is  the  most  beautiful  hall  in 
all  the  west  country — " 

"Oh,  then,  it  is  to  be  a  very  grand  affair?"  she  said,  with 
a  trifle  more  of  attention. 

"  Well,  not  such  a  gay  affair  as  Mr.  McAskill's  dance,"  said 
he,  laughing,  "  that  I  heard  was  a  great  sight  for  you.  But 
we  are  to  have  dignities  present.  The  rank  and  fashion  of 
Duntroone  have  been  very  kind  in  sending  for  tickets  ;  and 
the  committee  are  trying  to  persuade  the  provost  to  take  the 
chair.  Then  I  want  the  front  row  of  seats,  next  the  plat- 
form, kept  for  my  own  particular  friends.  I  should  feel  more 
at  home  that  way ;  and  you  and  Jessie,  if  you  are  so  kind  as 
to  come,  must  have  seats  there — Mr.  McFadyen  will  look  after 
you — and  I  shall  feel  that  I  am  among  my  own  folk — " 

"Allan,  lad,"  said  Jess,  who  was  placing  a  small  refection 
on  the  little  table  by  the  side  of  the  bed,  "  are  you  trying  to 
persuade  Barbara  you  are  so  shy  and  sensitive  before  an  au- 
dience that  you  need  private  help  and  sympathy  ?  Oh  yes, 
indeed !  But  I  know  better.  I  know.  I've  seen  you  pre- 
side over  a  meeting  more  than  once.  And  I've  seen  a  dis- 
pute arise  —  cross  arguments,  confusion,  words  flying ;  and 
then  Fve  seen  the  chairman  get  up,  with  a  face  as  black  as 
thunder,  and  weren't  the  quarrelsome  folk  pretty  soon  quieted 
down  —  ordered  to  the  right  about,  and  every  one  of  them 
feeling  he  had  made  a  fool  of  himself !  It  is  not  only  in 
the  school  that  the  school-master  must  lay  down  the  law, 
and  hector  and  have  everything  his  own  way — " 

"Jessie!"  the  young  man  remonstrated,  blushing  furi- 
ously. "What's  this  you're  saying?  What  will  Barbara 
think?" 

"  Keep  your  temper,  Allan,"  Jess  responded,  coolly.  "  If 
ye  lost  it,  it  would  be  a  bad  thing  for  the  one  that  found  it." 

At  this  point  Barbara  rose,  intimating  that  it  was  now 
time  for  her  to  go;  she  advanced  to  the  bedside  and  bade 
him  good-by;  she  said  a  word  or  two  in  passing  to  Jessie; 
and  with  that  she  left. 

"There,  you  see,  you've  frightened  her  away  with  your 
nonsense  I"  he  exclaimed,  fretfully  and  angrily. 

"  I  letter  she  should  go  now,"  Jess  said,  in  her  usual  placid 


A    VISITOR  117 

way,  "  before  she  got  tired  ;  she  is  all  the  more  likely  to  come 
again." 

"  And  do  you  think  she  will  come  again  ?"  he  asked,  with 
a  sudden  alteration  in  his  tone. 

"  Why  not?"  answered  Jess,  good-naturedly.  "  She  is  not 
kept  over-busy.  I  dare  say  she  is  away  back  home  now  to 
hem  handkerchiefs  for  herself." 

However,  Barbara  Maclean  had  not  returned  home  to  re- 
sume her  sewing.  When  she  got  outside,  she  lingered  about 
the  pavement,  pretending  to  study  the  shop  windows,  but  in 
reality  glancing  furtively  up  and  down  the  thoroughfare,  with 
an  occasional  look  across  the  bay  towards  a  certain  red-fun- 
nelled steamer  moored  at  the  opposite  quay.  After  a  while, 
with  an  affectation  of  carelessness,  as  though  she  hardly  knew 
whither  she  was  going,  she  proceeded  along  the  esplanade  in 
the  direction  of  the  railway  station ;  and  when  she  reached 
the  railway  station  she  went  to  the  book-stall,  and  seemed  to 
be  wholly  engrossed  in  contemplating  the  periodical  literature 
displayed  there.  But  close  to  the  book-stall  there  is  a  large 
gateway  opening  on  to  the  road  that  here  skirts  the  harbor ; 
and  along  this  road  any  one  coming  either  to  or  from  the 
South  Quay  must  necessarily  pass,  whether  he  chooses  to 
look  into  the  railway  station  or  not.  And  it  was  at  the  South 
Quay  that  the  Aros  Castle  was  now  lying. 


CHAPTER  XV 
ENCOUNTERS 

Long  Lauciilan  the  shoemaker  did  not  at  once  put-  into 
execution  his  threat  of  going  to  Fort  William  to  smash  the 
head  of  the  carpenter ;  but  the  idea  remained  hidden  in  the 
dim  recesses  of  his  brain ;  and  one  day,  having  provided 
himself  with  a  soda-water  bottle,  which  was  not  filled  with 
soda-water,  he  walked  down  to  the  quay,  and  stepped  on 
board  the  Fusilier.  There  was  no  savage  purpose  visible  in 
bis  face;  on  the  contrary,  he  wore  an  expression  of  bland 
content ;  and  when  he  had  gone  forward  to  the  bow,  and 
made  himself  comfortable  in  a  corner,  with  bis  back  resting 
against  the  bulwarks,  he  was  laughing  and  talking  to  himself 
— chuckling  over  the  folly  of  the  contemporary  race  of  man- 
kind— smiling  at  his  own  grim  little  jokes — and  occasionally 
breaking  into  gentle  song.  For  Lauchie  had  not  as  yet  re- 
turned to  the  fold  of  the  Kechabites ;  the  rescue  of  the 
school-master  had  been  a  great  event;  and  ever  since,  with 
but  a  few  intervals  of  unwilling  labor,  he  had  devoted  himself 
to  a  "terrible  keeping  up  o'  the  New  Year." 

The  gangway  was  withdrawn,  the  hawsers  cast  off,  the  pad- 
dles struck  the  green  water  into  a  seething  white,  and  the 
steamer  slowly  moved  away  from  the  quay.  Lauchie  was 
now  plaintively  singing  to  himself: 

" '  There's  nac  sorrow  there,  Jean, 

There's  neither  cauld  nor  eare,  Jean, 
Tin   ilui's  aye  fair  in 
The  Land  e>'  the   Leal ."  " 

"It's  a  beautiful  song  —  a  beautiful,  beautiful  song,"  he 
murmured.     Then   he   burst   out   laughing.     "That   foolish 

idiot  of  a  lass!     'Oh,  Mr.  Madntyre,  how  dare  you  mention 
such  a  thing  to  me,  and  you  a  married  man  !'     And  then  says 


ENCOUNTERS  119 

I :  '  But  a  man  that  has  not  got  a  wife  is  not  a  married  man  ; 
and  a  man  that  is  not  married  has  as  much  right  to  get  mar- 
ried as  any  one  else ;  and  if  that  is  not  the  law,  then  it  is 
them  that  makes  the  law  that  have  no  sense  in  their  head.' " 
He  chuckled  again  softly  and  gleefully.  "  '  Oh,  Mr.  Mac- 
Intyre,  you  should  not  say  such  things  !  I  am  quite  frightened 
to  hear  you  say  such  things !'  "  His  merriment  suddenly 
ceased.  A  diligent  search  had  revealed  the  disastrous  fact 
that  in  not  one  of  his  pockets  could  a  single  match  be  found. 
And  so  he  was  forced  to  struggle  up  from  that  snug  corner, 
and  make  away  for  the  cabin,  where  some  friendly  steward 
might  give  him  a  light  for  his  pipe.  And  if — as  he  was  in 
the  cabin  in  any  case  —  and  there  being  a  refreshment-bar 
there- — if  he  should  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity — why — 
But  Lauchie  had  disappeared. 

When  the  steamer  reached  Fort  William,  he  was  as  blithe 
and  unconcerned  as  ever ;  and  though  he  said  to  himself, 
"  Aw,  Dyea,  I  will  make  the  bandy-legged  carpenter  dance  a 
little  dance  ! — I  will  make  his  bandylegs  jump  !" — it  was  said 
with  perfect  good-humor.  And  in  this  happy  mood  he  landed, 
passed  along  the  quay,  and  entered  the  little  town  that  lies  at- 
the  foot  of  the  great  Ben  Nevis.  He  knew  that  if  he  were  to 
find  the  carpenter  at  all,  he  would  find  him  alone  ;  for  Mac- 
Killop  was  in  a  very  small  way  of  business,  ordinarily  work- 
ing as  his  own  journeyman. 

At  length  he  turned  into  an  alley,  and  came  upon  a  yard 
filled  with  all  sorts  of  rubbish — old  barrels,  broken  boats,  and 
sodden  shavings — at  the  farther  end  of  which  was  a  shed. 
The  shed  was  empty  ;  and  there  was  no  one  about.  But 
there  was  also  a  workshop ;  and  without  a  moment's  hesita- 
tion Lauchie  went  over  to  it,  and  raised  the  latch,  and  opened 
the  door.  The  next  moment  the  two  men  were  staring  at 
each  other  —  the  one  in  paralyzed  alarm,  the  other  with  a 
grim  sort  of  humor.  Then  Lauchie  began  to  look  about 
him  for  some  instrument ;  and  the  little,  bandy-legged,  red- 
headed carpenter,  instantly  divining  his  enemy's  purpose, 
and  seeing  no  way  of  escape  by  the  door,  which  was  blocked 
by  Lauchie's  tall  form,  made  a  single  spring  for  the  window, 
and  frantically  tried  to  raise  the  lower  sash.  But  he  tugged 
and  shook  in  vain,  for  in  his  haste  he  had  forgotten  to  undo 


120  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

the  catch  ;  and  meanwhile  Lauchie  had  got  hold  of  a  porten- 
tous beam;  so  that  the  luckless  carpenter,  finding  himself 
caught  like  a  trapped  rat,  could  only  throw  himself  under 
the  table  at  which  he  had  been  planing,  in  some  desperate 
hope  of  shelter  from  the  imminent  blows.  And  these  came 
quickly  enough  ;  and  thud  after  thud  resounded  of  the  un- 
equal fray ;  but  what  with  his  laughing,  and  what  with  his 
somewhat  unsteady  gait,  Lauchie's  aim  was  uncertain. 

"  Aw,  Dyea,"  he  called  aloud — but  without  the  least  ap- 
parent animosity  —  rather  with  a  kind  of  hilarious  enjoy- 
ment— "  come  out  of  your  hole,  you  red-headed  weasel,  and  I 
will  smash  your  brains  in  !" — and  therewith  he  aimed  another 
blow  at  the  carpenter  which  would  undoubtedly  have  accom- 
plished that  object  had  it  not  fortunately  descended  on  a 
crossbar  supporting  the  table.  "  Come  out  from  your  shav- 
ings, will  you,  till  I  knock  your  head  off  your  shoulders ! 
Will  you  come  out,  now?  Do  you  hear  me?  Do  you  think 
I  have  come  ahl  the  way  to  Fort  William  for  nothing?  Come 
away,  now  !  You  red-headed  weasel,  will  you  come  out  from 
your  hole  ?" 

And  again  with  a  tremendous  crash  the  beam  descended 
— this  time,  happily,  hitting  the  table  itself.  Lauchie  laughed 
loudly. 

"  Aw,  Dyea,  that  a  weasel  should  be  afraid  to  come  out 
like  that!  Will  I  get  the  dogs  and  worry  you  out?  But  no 
— no,  no ! — you  red-haired  son  of  the  devil,  I  will  reach  you 
yet,  if  I  have  to  keep  hammering  ahl  the  day  long." 

Then  something  tumultuous,  amazing,  inconceivable,  hap- 
pened. Lauchie  vaguely  knew  that  the  carpenter  had  darted 
out  from  his  retreat  and  hurled  himself  against  his  (Lauchie's) 
legs;  there  was  a  wild  scuffle  and  scramble;  the  carpenter 
managed  to  regain  his  feet  and  make  for  the  door;  and  when 
the  injured  husband,  seeking  to  pursue  him  and  belabor  him, 
would  have  followed,  he,  that  is  to  say,  Lauchlan  Maclntyre» 
tripped  over  a  plank  of  wood,  he  lurched  heavily  forward, 
In'  came  down  like  a  log,  and  there  was  a  splintering  crash 
of  glass  that  told  of  an  appalling  and  irremediable  catas- 
trophe. 

For  a  time  Lauchie  lav  motionless,  while  the  peccant  car- 
penter was  fleeing  away  into  safety.      And  when    lie  slowly 


ENCOUNTERS  121 

rose,  there  could  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  calamity  that  had  oc- 
curred ;  his  nether  garments  were  saturated ;  a  pocket  of  his 
coat  was  filled  with  broken  glass.  More  in  sorrow  than  in 
anger,  he  pulled  out  these  fragments  of  the  soda-water  bottle, 
and  dropped  them  in  the  yard  ;  then  with  an  ever-increas- 
ing dejection  he  made  his  way  along  the  chief  thoroughfare 
in  the  direction  of  the  quay;  and  it  was  a  perfectly  heart- 
broken man  that  seated  himself  on  an  empty  herring-barrel  to 
await  the  return  of  the  steamer  from  Corpach. 

When  Lauchlan  stepped  on  board  the  Fusilier,  on  her 
homeward  voyage,  he  looked  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the 
left,  but  went  away  forward  and  sat  down,  his  naturally  dis- 
mal countenance  now  heavy  with  gloom.  It  was  at  this  mo- 
ment that  a  little  man  dressed  all  in  Sunday  black,  and  with  a 
tall  hat  on  his  head,  came  up  to  him  and  said,  sympathetically  : 

"  How  are  ye,  Mr.  Maclntyre  ?  I'm  afraid  ye  look  rather 
down  in  the  mouth." 

"  I've  had  a  sad  loss,  Mr.  Robertson,"  answered  Lauchie — 
but  he  paid  little  heed  to  the  Free  Kirk  elder,  who  was  re- 
turning from  Achnasheen,  where  he  had  been  engaged  with 
others  in  protesting  against  the  Declaratory  Act. 

"  So  I  have  heard — so  I  have  heard,"  said  the  elder,  with 
compassion  ;  he  knew  the  story  of  Lauchie's  domestic  mis- 
fortunes. 

"  The  best  Glenlennan,"  Lauchie  murmured  to  himself. 

"  Do  ye  say  that  now  ?"  rejoined  the  other.  "  The  best  in 
all  the  glen,  was  she  ?  It's  grievous  to  think  how  time 
changes  us  poor  mortal  creatures  !" 

"  Seven  years  in  bond,"  continued  the  doleful  shoemaker. 

"  Indeed,  indeed  !"  said  the  elder,  shaking  his  head  sadly. 
"  Seven  years  in  the  bonds  of  iniquity.  I  had  little  idea 
there  were  such  goings  on,  over  so  long  a  time." 

"  But  there  was  no  help  for  it — no  help,"  Lauchie  mur- 
mured again,  talking  to  himself  mostly,  with  his  eyes  bent  on 
the  deck.     "  It  was  bound  to  happen  the  moment  I  fell." 

The  elder  started. 

"  You  fell  likewise  ?"  he  exclaimed,  in  an  awe-stricken 
voice.  "  Dear,  dear,  that  ye  should  have  to  tell  me  that  ! 
But  the  heart  of  man  is  deceitful  above  all  things  and  desper- 
ately wicked." 

6 


122  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Nothing  left  but  bits  o'  glass ;  and  all  the  fine  stuff  gone. 
There  was  nearly  a  whole  mutchkin.  I  was  saving  it  up  for 
the  trip  home.     Seven  years  old  Glenlennan  !" 

The  elder  stared  at  him,  partly  in  amazement,  partly  in 
anger. 

"  Mr.  Maclntyre,  are  ye  in  your  senses  ?  In  the  name  of 
mercy  what  are  ye  talking  about  ?" 

"  Seven  years  old  Glenlennan,"  Lauchie.  repeated,  mourn- 
fully.    "  And  when  I  fell  the  bottle  went  all  to  splinters." 

"  Aye,  the  bottle,"  replied  the  other,  sharply.  "  I'm  think- 
ing ye've  been  paying  too  much  attention  to  the  hottle  of  late. 
And  you  that  was  a  Rechabite — " 

"  And  I  am  a  Rechahite.  From  this  moment  I  am  a  Rech- 
abite," continued  Lauchlan,  doggedly.  "  As  sure  as  death, 
Mr.  Robertson.  I'm  determined  this  time.  From  this  mo- 
ment, not  a  drop.  You'll  see  —  you'll  see.  And  on  the 
strength  of  it,  now,  we'll  just  go  down  below  and  have  a  tast- 
ing—" 

"  Mc  ?"  said  the  elder.  "  Me,  that  has  an  example  to  set, 
unworthy  as  I  am — " 

"  Then  I  draw  back,"  interposed  Lauchie,  with  decision. 
And  he  went  on,  assuming  a  certain  solemnity  of  air.  "  And 
who  will  be  responsible  for  that  ?  "Who  but  yourself,  Mr. 
Robertson  ?  It  is  you  that  have  refused  to  pluck  a  brand 
from  the  burning." 

The  argument  was  irresistible.  Together  they  went  down 
to  the  cabin  to  celebrate  and  confirm  the  most  recent  of 
Lauchie's  many  conversions  ;  and  as  the  story  of  Allan  Hen- 
derson's mishap  and  rescue  had  to  be  told  all  over  again,  they 
were  still  sitting  in  the  cabin  when  the  Fusilier  arrived  at 
Duntroonc. 

One  day  at  this  time,  Barbara  Maclean  was  seated  at  the 
window  of  her  room,  sewing,  with  an  occasional  glaucc  into 
the  street  below,  when  she  saw  Jack  Ogilvie  pass  along  the 
other  side  of  the  thoroughfare.  It  was  a  chance  she  had  been 
looking  forward  to,  perhaps  watching  for  ;  immediately  she 
rose,  threw  aside  her  work,  and   began  with  great  rapidity  to 

array  herself  in  such  out-of-door  finery  as  she  possessed,  not 
forgetting  to  lay  her  cousin  Jessie's  stock  under  contribution. 


ENCOUNTERS  123 

For  hitherto  she  had  been  unsuccessful  in  obtaining  even  a 
few  words  of  speech  with  the  all-too-handsome  purser,  who 
had  bewildered  her  senses  away  on  the  evening  of  Mrs.  McAs- 
kill's  dance.  Once  or  twice  she  had  wandered  round  in  the 
direction  of  tbe  South  Quay  ;  and  she  had  actually  in  the  dis- 
tance seen  Ogilvie — smarter  than  ever  in  his  uniform  of  navy 
blue  and  brass  buttons — standing  by  the  gangway  of  the 
Aros  Castle,  superintending  the  embarkation  of  passengers ; 
but  she  had  not  had  the  courage  to  go  nearer.  Perhaps  he 
had  forgotten  that  he  had  ever  met  her.  He  might  not  even 
know  her  name.  He  had  to  encounter  so  many  people  in  the 
course  of  his  duties. 

But  now  that  he  had  gone  along  this  Campbell  Street  alone, 
and  would  probably  return  the  same  way,  he  might  possibly 
recognize  her  as  he  passed.  Accordingly,  as  soon  as  she  had 
fichu,  jacket,  hat,  gloves,  and  parasol  complete,  she  stole 
down-stairs,  and  went  out  on  to  the  pavement.  Of  course, 
she  could  not  remain  here  ;  for  her  aunt's  shop  was  just  oppo- 
site ;  and  Mrs.  Maclean  might  happen  to  look  out,  and  espy 
her,  and  wonder  what  she  was  doing.  But  a  short  way  along 
there  was  a  watch-maker's  window  into  which  she  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  staring  ever  since  she  came  to  Duntroone  ;  for 
in  it  was  an  ingenious  little  clock,  the  time  of  which  was 
kept,  or  rather  marked,  by  a  tiny  gold  ball  that  rolled  down 
an  inclined  plane,  the  plane  reversing  itself  at  the  end  of 
every  quarter  of  a  minute ;  and  this  toy  had  fascinated  her  so 
that  she  would  stand  unweariedly  following  the  zigzag  course 
of  the  small  gold  sphere.  It  was  in  front  of  this  window  that 
she  now  lingered,  her  eyes  peeping  cornerwise.  And  before 
long  she  became  conscious  that  some  one  was  approaching ; 
a  furtive  glance  assured  her  that  this  was  indeed  none  other 
than  Ogilvie ;  and  so,  with  apparent  carelessness,  forsaking 
the  toy  clock,  she  continued  on  her  way,  as  if  she  were  not 
expecting  to  meet  any  one. 

It  was  a  quick,  light,  elate  step  that  now  sounded  along  the 
pavement ;  she  made  certain  that  in  his  youthful  and  joyous 
audacity  and  unconcern  he  would  not  recollect  her  or  even 
look  her  way.  As  he  approached,  her  heart  beat  wildly  ;  her 
trembling  fingers  grasped  the  handle  of  her  parasol  as  if  for 
support.     He  drew  nearer — she  could  not  raise  her  eyes — he 


124  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

would  go  by  without  a  word  or  a  glance.  And  as  a  matter  of 
fact  lie  did  pass  her ;  then  almost  at  the  same  moment  he 
seemed  to  pause ;  she  managed  to  turn  her  head  the  least 
little  bit ;  and  forthwith  he  came  forward  to  her,  in  a  manner 
doubtingly,  yet  with  a  propitiatory  smile. 

"Miss  Maclean?"  said  he,  and  he  raised  his  cap  and  held 
out  his  hand.  "  I  beg  your  pardon — I  was  nearly  being  very 
rude  —  but  you  remained  so  short  a  time  the  night  of  Mrs. 
McAskill's  dance.  And  how  is  your  cousin,  Miss  Jessie  ?"  he 
went  on — for  he  could  see  that  she  was  overwhelmingly  em- 
barrassed and  self-conscious;  and  he  was  a  good-natured  lad, 
and  the  spectacle  of  beauty  in  distress  aroused  his  sympathy. 
"  I  heard  from  her  the  other  day — about  the  lecture  in  the 
Masonic  Hall.  Allan  Henderson  the  school-master  is  a  great 
friend  of  hers  and  her  mother's,  and  they  are  anxious  he 
should  have  a  good  audience." 

"  And  are  you  going  to  the  lecture  ?"  said  Barbara,  finding 
her  voice  at  last,  and  even  succeeding  in  letting  her  eyes 
question  him  for  a  moment. 

"  Well,  I  am  not  so  sure,"  he  made  answer.  "  It  is  not 
much  in  my  line  ;  but  if  the  boat  is  in  in  good  time,  I  may 
go.     And  I  will  take  one  or  two  tickets  whatever." 

Now  at  this  point  he  ought  to  have  said  good-bye,  and  gone 
away.     But  she  was  a  remarkably  pretty  girl. 

"  I  hope,  Miss  Maclean,"  said  he,  "  that  the  next  time  you 
come  to  any  such  gathering,  you  will  stay  and  join  in  the 
dancing.  It  was  quite  a  disappointment  to  many  of  us  that 
you  and  your  cousin  left  so  early.  And  I  suppose  you  are  as 
fond  of  dancing  as  most  other  young  ladies." 

"  There  was  not  much  dancing  in  Kilree,"  said  Barbara, 
blushing  furiously. 

And  then  at  last  he  did  say  good-bye,  and  raised  his  cap 
and  departed,  and  Campbell  Street — though  it  was  high  noon 
— seemed  to  grow  dark. 

No  sooner  was  he  gone  than  she  hurried  back  to  her  room, 
and  there  she  went  Straight  to  the  mirror  to  examine  her  ap- 
pearance ami  her  costume  from  every  possible  point  of  view. 
Ami  then,  taking  off  some  of  her  things,  she  sat  down  and 
pondered — until  it  was  time  for  her  to  see  about  getting 
ready  the  mid-day  meal. 


ENCOUNTERS  125 

In  the  afternoon  she  was  once  more  alone — that  is  to  say, 
she  was  free  to  leave  the  house  in  charge  of  the  girl  Chris- 
tina; and  again  she  wandered  out,  this  time  making  a  cir- 
cuitous way  for  a  certain  back  street.  Arrived  there,  she 
stopped  in  front  of  an  entry  where  a  small  brass  plate  in- 
formed the  public  that  "  Professor  Sylvester,  teacher  of  dan- 
cing and  calisthenics,"  abode  within  ;  she  hesitated  for  a 
second  or  so ;  then,  summoning  up  courage,  she  passed  into 
the  dark  entry,  rang  a  bell,  and  inquired  if  Professor  Sylvester 
were  at  home.  The  next  thing  was  that  she  found  herself 
the  sole  occupant  of  a  large  and  empty  apartment,  almost 
destitute  of  furniture  save  for  a  bench  that  went  along  two 
of  the  walls,  and  a  table  on  which  were  ranged  a  number  of 
stone  ginger-beer  bottles  and  tumblers. 

The  door  opened,  and  the  professor  appeared,  violin  in 
hand.  He  was  an  elderly,  spare,  careworn-looking  man  ;  his 
demeanor  was  submissive  and  deprecatory  ;  he  spoke  with  a 
slightly  foreign  accent  when  he  addressed  her.  And  his 
terms,  when  Barbara  timidly  asked  for  them,  were  of  the 
most  modest  character. 

"But  I  must  see  where  you  will  begin  —  I  must  see  what 
lessons  you  will  need  before  joining  the  class,"  he  said. 
"And  I  will  call  in  my  daughter  to  be  your  partner." 

He  rang  the  bell.  A  sandy-haired  and  rather  sulky -looking 
girl  appeared,  who,  recognizing  the  situation  at  a  glance,  took 
down  from  a  peg  on  the  door  a  sailor's  jacket,  and  this  she 
donned,  no  doubt  intimating  that  she  had  now  become  a  male 
partner,  and  was  ready,  in  an  impassive  and  perfunctory  way, 
to  go  through  her  share  of  the  performance.  Barbara  be- 
trayed the  greatest  shame  and  confusion. 

"  No,"  said  she,  "  I  cannot  dance  at  all.  I  must  begin  at 
the  beginning.  And  could  I  have  lessons  without  any  one 
looking  on  ?" 

"  Certainly  —  certainly,"  said  the  grave  and  worn  -  eyed 
professor.  "  And  what  time  of  the  day  would  it  please  you 
to  come  ? — for  there  are  generally  some  young  people  here  in 
the  evening." 

There  was  no  difficulty  about  making  final  arrangements ; 
and  when  these  were  completed,  Barbara,  leaving  the  dancing- 
master's  house,  returned  home  by  a  roundabout  route,  for 


12G  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

she  had  resolved  upon  keeping  this  matter  a  dark  secret 
from  her  aunt  and  her  cousin.  And  so  apt  and  assiduous 
did  she  prove  to  he  that  in  less  than  ten  days'  time  the  pro- 
fessor said  to  his  daughter :  "  Eugenie,  I  do  not  think  in  all 
my  life  I  have  known  a  pupil  like  that — so  quick,  so  clever, 
so  graceful  in  every  movement.  It  all  comes  naturally  to 
her — no  effort — no  constraint — it  is  a  pleasure  to  teach  her. 
If  she  had  been  trained  from  infancy,  she  might  have  had  a 
career." 

Eugenie  the  sulky  did  not  respond.  She  had  formed  an 
unreasoning  dislike  towards  the  new  pupil — perhaps  through 
Jealousy  of  her  elegant  figure  and  her  all-conquering  and 
pathetic  eyes. 


CHAPTER    XVI 
SCHEMES    AND    FORECASTS 

That  was  a  great  occasion  when  the  young  school-master, 
though  still  something  of  a  cripple,  made  his  first  reappear- 
ance in  Mrs.  Maclean's  back  parlor.  The  kind-hearted  little 
widow,  with  covert  tears  in  her  lashes,  did  not  know  how  to 
tend  him  and  pet  him  enough ;  would  have  him  sit  in  her 
own  arm-chair ;  feared  he  was  too  near  the  fire,  or  too  far 
away  from  the  fire ;  and  generally  made  such  a  fuss  over  him 
that  he  had  shamefacedly  to  protest  again  and  again,  for  he 
did  not  like  being  treated  as  a  child  before  Jess. 

"  Well,  indeed,"  said  the  widow,  as  she  brought  out  cur- 
rant bunn,  short -bread,  and  other  elements  of  festivity, 
"  when  something  terrible  bad  has  happened,  they  proclaim 
a  day  of  general  mutilation  throughout  the  country — " 

"  Humiliation,  you  mean,  mother,"  Jess  said,  impatiently — 
she  did  not  mind  at  other  times,  but  when  Allan  was  present 
these  harmless  little  mistakes  vexed  her. 

"  Exactly  that,"  continued  the  widow,  with  much  content. 
"  And  when  something  terrible  fine  happens,  like  Allan  here 
getting  about  again,  there  should  be  a  general  rejoicing 
among  us,  if  one  could  only  manage  it.  But  in  the  mean- 
time, Jessie,  you'll  just  step  across  the  way  and  bid  Barbara 
smarten  herself  up,  and  come  over,  directly.  Oh,  well  I 
know  what  pleases  young  folk !  "When  a  lad  and  a  lass  are 
thinking  of  each  other,  it's  little  else  they  think  of.  Give 
them  a  look  at  each  other,  and  that's  enough  —  so  off  ye  go, 
Jess." 

Despite  herself,  a  shade  of  mortification  passed  over  Jess 
Maclean's  face  when  she  was  thus  ordered  to  go  and  summon 
Barbara ;  for  in  her  capacity  of  nurse  she  had  established  a 
sort  of  proprietary  right  in  this  fractious  invalid ;  and  now 
that  he  had  come  to  report  himself  convalescent,  she  thought 


128  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

it  hard  that  any  half-stranger  should  he  allowed  to  intervene. 
But  she  was  a  biddable  lass  ;  she  whipped  on  her  shawl  and 
bonnet,  and  went  away  to  execute  her  mission ;  the  only 
thing  was  that  on  her  return  she  did  not  accompany  Barbara 
into  the  parlor.  She  remained  in  the  front  shop.  And  at 
the  same  moment — whether  out  of  mischief  or  out  of  sym- 
pathetic consideration — Mrs.  Maclean  made  some  excuse  and 
joined  her  daughter;  so  that  Barbara  Maclean  and  the  young 
school-master  found  themselves  alone  together  in  the  hushed 
little  room. 

"  It  is  I  that  am  pleased  to  see  you  going  about  again," 
she  said,  in  Gaelic,  and  she  gave  him  her  hand  for  a  moment, 
and  then  composedly  took  a  seat. 

"  And  surely,"  said  he,  in  the  same  tongue,  "my  first  visit 
was  due  to  the  house  that  has  been  so  kind  to  me." 

He  had  paled  slightly  on  her  entrance ;  but  now  the  joy  of 
actually  beholding  her  had  recalled  something  of  color  and 
animation  to  his  face ;  his  dark  and  glowing  eyes  drank  their 
fill  of  her,  and  yet  were  never  satisfied.  How  beautiful  she 
was — so  much  more  beautiful  than  the  ph  mtom  image 
of  her  that  had  occupied  his  waking  dreams  ;  his  covetous 
longing  to  secure  this  glorious  creature  all  to  himself  seemed 
to  run  riot  in  mad  fancies;  something  appeared  to  whisper 
to  him  that,  now  when  at  last  she  was  so  near  him,  he  must 
seize  her  hands,  and  hold  them  tight,  and  say  to  her,  "  You 
are  mine — you  are  mine — you  cannot  go  away  from  me — not 
any  more,  forever."  Meanwhile  Barbara  was  twiddling  with 
the  lace  frills  of  her  cuffs. 

"And  you,"  lie  continued  —  getting  some  mastery  over 
himself,  and  dismissing  these  delirious  imaginings  —  "you,  I 
am  sure,  have  found  the  house  a  kind  house,  with  a  warm 
hearth  for  you." 

"Oh  yes,  indeed,"  replied  Barbara,  rather  indifferently. 

"The  night  of  the  wreck  of  the  Sanda"  he  went  on — his 
glowing  eyes  still  duelling  on  her — his  nostrils  sensitive  to 
tin'  Bcent  of  her  cost  nine  —  "  I  thought  you  were  lonely  and 
Bad  enough  ;  bui    I  told  you   you  were  going  to  a  friendly 

home,  and  I  knew  thai  a  friendly  home  you  would  find  it. 
And  who  but  1  was  the  first  one  to  meet  you?  —  so  that  ever 
since   1    have  thought  of  you,  and  been  anxious  to  know  that 


SCHEMES  AND  FORECASTS  129 

you  were  well  looked  after,  and  not  like  one  strayed  into  a 
strange  fold.  Many  is  the  time  I  would  like  to  have  sent 
along  to  ask  you  to  come  and  see  me,  that  you  might  talk 
about  yourself ;  but  I  was  not  so  bold,  to  disturb  you.  But 
I  often  heard  of  you;  and  I  was  sure  that  from  your  aunt 
and  your  cousin  you  would  have  the  kindest  of  treatment — " 

"  Indeed  I  have  nothing  to  complain  of,"  Barbara  said — 
with  a  glance  towards  the  glass  door;  perhaps  sjie  was  sur- 
prised that  she  was  being  left  alone  in  this  fashion. 

"  When  a  man  lies  sick  in  bed  he  has  time  to  think  of 
many  things,"  the  school-master  proceeded — not  quite  know- 
ing how  to  make  use  of  these  invaluable  moments — having 
so  much  to  say,  and  yet  in  a  bewilderment  of  hesitation  as 
to  how  far  he  dared  go — "  and  above  all  things  I  was  anxious 
you  should  understand,  and  be  sure  that  you  were  among 
people  who  wished  you  well.  And  perhaps,  here  or  there, 
might  be  one  whose  interest  in  you  was  warmer  than  that — 
if  the  time  was  come  to  speak — " 

Perhaps  she  comprehended  his  meaning,  perhaps  not;  at 
all  events,  she  somewhat  abruptly  rose,  and  said  : 

"  I  am  wondering  what  my  aunt  is  about,  and  Jessie  ;  it  is 
not  usual  for  them  to  neglect  you  in  this  way." 

And  with  that  she  went  to  the  windowed  door,  and  opened 
it,  and  looked  into  the  front  shop.  But  at  this  moment  the 
arrival  of  a  new  visitor — a  stormy  visitor — absorbed  atten- 
tion :  it  was  the  town-councillor,  who  had  come  hastily  along 
on  hearing  of  Allan's  having  adventured  forth  ;  and  now  he 
was  all  excitement  and  importance  in  his  desire  to  dominate 
such  a  situation;  he  drove  the  Macleans  before  him  into  the 
parlor — the  door  being  left  a  bit  open,  as  was  customary. 

"  Man,  Allan,"  he  cried.  "  I'm  just  delighted  to  see  ye 
here  again,  among  your  own  kith  and  kin,  and  in  a  cosey 
circle  too.  And  I've  news  for  ye,  lad,  I've  news  for  ye ;  if 
ye'll  not  think  I  have  been  taking  too  great  a  liberty;  but  I 
hardly  expected  to  see  ye  about  so  soon,  and  so  I  have  been 
making  inquiries  on  your  behalf.  Yes,  indeed,"  continued 
Mr.  McFadyen,  with  great  vivacity — regarding  himself  as  the 
hero  of  the  hour,  no  doubt,  and  conscious  that  Jess  Maclean's 
eyes  were  upon  him — "  the  moment  Miss  Jessie  put  that  idea 
of  the  Latin  class  into  my  head  says  I  to  myself,  '  Well,  if 
6* 


130  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

Allan  is  laid  by  the  heels,  and  cannot  look  after  this  matter, 
it's  just  me  that's  going  to  do  it  for  him.'  And  I've  found  a 
splendid  room  for  ye — the  very  ticket :  the  top  floor  at  Ross 
&  Maclagan's,  the  lawyers ;  and  I'm  sure  they'll  be  reason- 
able about  it,  for  it's  empty,  and  not  a  bit  of  use  to  them. 
And  just  as  I  was  thinking  it  would  cost  ye  a  stiff  penny  to 
put  benches  and  desks  into  it,  then  I  chanced  to  hear  of  the 
Masonic  Hall  folk  wanting  to  sell  off  a  lot  of  their  old  chairs, 
and  says  I  to  myself,  'If  we  can  get  them  cheap,  they'll  just 
do  fine.'  Then  I  went  to  the  office  of  the  Times  and  Tele- 
graph, and  saw  the  manager,  and  he  says  if  ye'll  give  him  the 
advertisement  by  the  year,  he'll  take  it  on  the  easiest  terms  ; 
in  fact,  he  was  hinting  it  might  not  cost  ye  anything  if  you 
would  do  some  writing  for  the  paper  at  odd  hours — " 

"  No,  no,"  said  Allan,  frowning.  "  I  will  not  have  it  that 
way." 

But  Peter  McFadyen  was  not  the  man  to  be  daunted. 

"Just  as  ye  like — just  as  ye  like,"  he  said,  blithely.  "And 
that's  not  all  the  news.  For  I've  been  asking  a  question  here 
and  there,  I  hope  in  a  discreet  kind  of  way,  and  I  find  there's 
several  of  my  own  friends  would  like  their  boys  to  get  an 
hour  or  two's  Latin  after  the  office-work  or  the  shop-work 
was  over ;  and  that's  how  it  stands,  Allan,  my  lad,  that  as 
soon  as  you  care  to  start,  I'll  guarantee  ye'll  have  quite  a  re- 
spectable size  of  a  class  within  a  fortnight ;  and  there's  no 
reason  why  such  a  class  should  not  go  on  growing  bigger  and 
bigger,  for  I  find  it  is  greatly  wanted  in  Duntroone." 

"  I  am  sure  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  McFadyen," 
the  young  school-master  said,  "and  especially  to  Miss  Jessie, 
for  it  was  she  that  first  thought  of  it.  It's  a  good  thing  to 
have  friends." 

He  ventured  to  glance  towards  Barbara.  Was  she  betraying 
any  interest  in  these  poor  schemes  of  his?  Nay,  could  he  dare 
to  hope  that  she  was  personally  concerned  in  them  ?  But  Bar- 
bara was  staring  into  the  fire  with  abstracted  gaze. 

The  councillor,  who  evidently  regarded  himself  as  the 
founder  of  Allan's  fortunes,  now  proceeded  to  prophesy  great 
things  ;  and  he  was  in  a  humorous  mood  as  well;  those  were 
gay  pictures  he  drew  of  the  future.  Even  the  little  widow 
was  constrained  to  remark  : 


SCHEMES  AND  FORECASTS  131 

"  Well,  Mr.  McFadyen,  it's  you  that  are  in  high  spirits  the 
night.  But  take  care.  Do  you  remernher  the  old  saying, 
'  You  are  too  merry,  you'll  have  to  marry  '  V 

The  warning  only  increased  the  councillor's  jocosity. 

"  Faith,  that's  a  good  one  !"  he  cried,  with  a  prodigious 
laugh.  "  Me  marrying ?  Is  that  your  advice,  Mrs.  Maclean  ? 
That's  a  fine  idea,  to  be  sure — the  idea  of  me  marrying !" 

"  I  do  not  see  what  there  is  to  laugh  at !"  the  widow  pro- 
tested. 

"  Well,  then,  I'll  tell  you  what  stands  in  the  way,"  he 
said,  with  sudden  gravity — but  it  was  only  part  of  his  pro- 
found facetiousness.  "  There's  one  very  good  reason,  and 
one's  enough ;  and  the  reason  is  that  I'm  too  bashful.  Aye, 
there  it  is — that's  the  truth." 

With  beaming  face  and  demurely  twinkling  eyes  he 
glanced  from  one  to  the  other ;  to  himself  the  notion  of  his 
being  bashful — a  man  of  the  world  like  himself  being  bashful 
— was  irresistibly  comic. 

"  I  do  not  know  about  that,"  said  the  downright  little 
widow ;  "  but  when  I  was  young,  if  a  man  had  made  up  his 
mind  about  the  girl  he  wanted  to  marry,  I'm  thinking  there 
was  not  much  difficulty  about  his  finding  words  to  ask  her. 
Maybe  it  is  different  nowadays.  Nowadays  it  seems  to  be 
money  first,  and  your  sweetheart  second.  Here  have  you 
yourself,  Mr.  McFadyen,  been  planning  out  all  that  Allan  is 
to  be,  and  the  grand  things  he  is  to  do  ;  and  yet  never  a 
word  about  his  taking  a  wife — though  perhaps  there  would 
be  no  great  need  for  him  to  go  far  afield." 

These  words  were  spoken  with  smiling  significance — the 
widow  being  clearly  proud  of  her  diplomacy  ;  but  nothing 
short  of  consternation  ensued.  Jessie  looked  particularly 
distressed ;  Barbara  betrayed  less  confusion — indeed,  she  ap- 
peared to  treat  this  open  innuendo  as  of  little  import.  As 
for  the  young  man  who  had  thus  been  almost  invited  to 
choose  one  of  the  cousins,  he  maintained  a  stern  silence.  It 
was  the  councillor  who  came  to  the  general  relief. 

"  If  there's  one  thing  in  the  world  I  would  like,"  he  said, 
"it's  just  this — that  the  five  of  us  that  are  here  at  this  mo- 
ment could  get  away  for  a  trip  to  London  to  see  the  sights. 
Wouldn't  that  be  worth  while  ? — just  by  ourselves — a  little 


132  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

party — and  I've  been  to  London  myself — I  know  my  ways 
about — I  could  show  ye  all  the  fine  things  that  belong  to 
the  nation,  and  therefore  they  belong  just  as  much  to  you 
or  to  me  as  to  anybody  else." 

"  Indeed,  there's  truth  in  what  ye  say,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  the 
school-master  put  in.  ''And  maybe  John  Smith — the  com- 
mon man,  the  poor  man — would  be  a  little  better  contented 
with  his  lot  if  he  only  remembered  what  great  possessions 
are  his,  and  what  has  been  done  to  please  him.  If  John 
were  a  philosopher,  he  would  begin  and  ask  questions.  For 
whose  .delight,  for  whose  use,  are  splendid  public  buildings 
built,  and  bridges  thrown  across  rivers,  and  handsome  em- 
bankments made?  These  belong  to  him — the  poor  man 
— to  John  Smith.  What  prince  or  duke  has  a  collection  of 
pictures  like  the  National  Gallery  ? — that  is  John  Smith's. 
The  gems  and  antiquities  and  books  of  the  British  Museum, 
the  art  treasures  at  South  Kensington — what  private  collec- 
tion has  anything  to  compare  with  them  ? — and  they  all  be- 
long to  John  Smith,  who  has  no  trouble  about  them,  no  fear 
of  being  swindled,  the  best  experts  of  the  world  buying  for 
him  everywhere.  The  Queen  has  a  fine  garden  behind  Buck- 
ingham Palace ;  but  it's  not  a  third  as  big  as  Hyde  Park — 
which  is  John  Smith's  domain.  For  I've  been  to  London 
too,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  continued  the  school-master,  who  could 
talk  freclv  and  spiritedly  enough  when  his  sombre  fits  of 
silence  were  abandoned,  "and  I've  seen  the  Green  Park, 
Regent's  Park,  Battersea  Park,  and  the  rest  of  them,  and 
their  ornamental  waters,  and  their  great  staff  of  gardeners — 
all  kept  up  for  the  public  use.  What  duke  or  marquis  has 
a  ball  to  compare  with  Westminster  Hall — where  plain  John 
Smith  can  walk  up  and  down  at  any  time  of  the  day  and  eat 
;ui  orange  in  contentment?  Royal  processions  to  St.  Paul's 
— lord  mayor's  shows — pageants  of  that  kind  are  designed 
I'm-  the  poor  man,  not  the  rich.  And  if  we  here,  Mr.  Coun- 
cillor, should  ever  go  to  London  together,  ami  when  you'll  be 
taking  us  to  the  British  Museum  or  to  South  Kensington, 
you'll  just  have  to  drop  a  word  now  and  again  reminding  us 

that  these  8X0  our  own  collections,  and  better  than  any  oth- 
er in  the  land,  and  kepi  ap  for  us  with  the  greatest,  care. 
I   wonder,  now,"  he  said,  turning  to  Mrs.  Maclean — "1  won- 


SCHEMES  AND  FORECASTS  133 

der,  when  Mr.  McFadyen  goes  with  us  to  the  National  Gal- 
lery, if  he'll  remember  his  position.  Will  he  take  us  up  to 
the  famous  Raphael,  and  say  to  us:  'This  is  my  last  great 
acquisition  ;  I  had  to  pay  a  little  trifle  of  £70,000  before  I 
could  get  it  away  from  Blenheim  Palace  '  ?" 

The  practical  little  widow  was  puzzled  by  these  vagaries ; 
her  answer  was  more  to  the  point. 

"  So  you  would  be  off  to  London,  the  lot  of  you  ?"  she 
said,  cheerfully  enough.  "  Well,  well,  that's  natural  for 
young  folk ;  but  such  gaddings  about  are  not  for  an  old  body 
like  me.  I'm  tied  to  the  premises ;  I'm  a  fixture  here  as 
much  as  a  shelf  or  a  gasalier — " 

"  Not  at  all — we'll  not  stir  without  ye,"  Peter  insisted,  gal- 
lantly. "Not  one  step  will  we  stir.  You'll  just  have  to  get 
somebody  ye  can  trust  to  take  your  place  in  the  shop ;  then 
off  we  go — like  school-children  for  a  holiday.  It's  but  right 
— it's  but  right,  Mrs.  Maclean.  Year  after  year  we  keep  on 
working  and  working ;  are  we  never  to  give  ourselves  a  bit 
treat?  I'll  undertake  to  say  there's  not  one  in  this  room  has 
seen  the  Queen.  But  we've  a  right  to  see  her ;  for  she's  a 
part  of  the  Constitution  that  we  pay  for.  Dod,  man,  Allan, 
ye  put  bold  ideas  into  folks'  heads  ;  for  if  everything  be- 
longs to  John  Smith,  and  if  I  am  John  Smith — as  ye  plainly 
intimate — then  I  am  the  richest  man  in  Europe  ;  and  surely 
the  richest  man  in  Europe  should  be  able  to  afford  a  trip  to 
London.  What  d'ye  say,  Mrs.  Maclean  ?  And  you're  coming 
with  us,  mind.  Not  a  foot  will  we  stir  without  ye.  My 
word,  we'll  make  things  lively  in  the  big  town  !" 

But  it  was  not  until  Mr.  McFadyen  and  Allan  had  left  the 
hospitable  little  parlor  and  started  off  for  home  that  the 
councillor  revealed  the  secret  reason  for  his  thus  insisting  on 
a  quite  chimerical  project. 

"  Did  ye  see  how  I  managed  it  ?"  he  said,  with  great  exul- 
tation. "  Did  ye  see  how  natural-like  I  led  them  on  to  look 
on  us  all  as  forming  a  family  party — that's  you  and  Barbara, 
and  me  and  Jessie,  with  the  old  lady  as  general  friend  and 
adviser  ?  For  it  doesna  do  to  frighten  them  at  first.  It's  like 
taming  a  wild  animal  —  ye  must  be  cautious  and  slow  and 
cunning.  Dod,  man,"  exclaimed  the  councillor,  honestly,  "I 
think  I  showed  a  little  skill!     Did  I  not,  now? — did  I  not?" 


134  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

Allan  was  silent :  his  thoughts  were  elsewhere.  But  Mr. 
McFadyen  was  not  to  be  discouraged. 

"  What  care  I,"  he  continued,  gleefully,  "  whether  such  a 
trip  as  that  to  London  is  impracticable  or  no  ?  Jessie  and 
Barbara  have  been  led  into  thinking  of  the  four  of  us  being 
there  together,  with  perhaps  the  old  lady  left  behind  in  Dun- 
troone.  And  of  course  that  would  mean  two  weddings — 
two  weddings,  you  rascal!  —  and  when  the  two  weddings 
come  about,  you'll  just  tell  me  if  I  did  not  show  a  little 
tact  and  address  in  paving  the  way  and  making  everything 
easy." 

"  I  do  not  like  the  sound  of  the  wind,"  said  Allan,  absent- 
ly staring  out  towards  the  moaning  and  inscrutable  sea.  "  It 
is  going  to  be  a  wild  night." 

"Ye're  a  clever  chiel,  Allan,"  continued  the  complacent 
councillor,  as  the  two  men  paused  for  a  second  at  the  part- 
ing of  their  ways,  "and  your  head  is  just  filled  with  learn- 
ing and  knowledge.  But  it  takes  experience  of  the  world, 
it  takes  experience  of  human  nature,  to  manage  a  difficult 
affair  like  this ;  and  maybe  you'll  be  the  first  to  acknowledge 
as  much  —  maybe  you'll  be  ready  to  confess  that  much — 
when  you  and  Barbara  and  Jessie  and  myself  find  ourselves 
in  a  carriage  together,  driving  about  and  seeing  the  sights  of 
London." 

The  school  -  master  did  not  reply.  With  a  brief  "Good- 
night!" he  turned  away — and  disappeared  into  the  darkness. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
A    PTARMIGAN    BROOCH 

It  was  indeed  a  wild  night — the  wind  howling  in  the  chim- 
neys and  shaking  the  windows,  the  rain  falling  in  torrents,  the 
long  swish  of  the  waves  heard  all  along  the  shore;  but  tow- 
ards morning  there  came  a  sudden  and  unaccountable  calm  ; 
and  daybreak  revealed  a  brooding  stillness  over  land  and  sea 
— revealed  a  slate-hued  world,  vague  and  dull  and  sombre, 
with  the  mountains  of  Mull  and  Morven  hidden  behind  a 
dark,  formless,  impenetrable  wall  of  vapor.  Nevertheless, 
sullen  as  the  outlook  might  be,  there  was  steady  progress 
towards  the  light.  Up  in  the  high  portals  of  the  east  a  cu- 
rious kind  of  glare  began  to  elbow  its  way  through  the  heavy 
masses  of  cloud ;  the  slopes  of  Kerrara  answered  in  warm 
tones  of  saffron  and  orange  and  golden  green ;  as  the  hours 
went  by,  the  heavens  became  more  and  more  broken  up ;  by 
noon  there  were  shafts  of  sunlight  here  and  there,  and  a  vivid 
and  welcome  blue  in  the  far  stretches  of  water  outside  the 
bay ;  while  the  Mull  and  Morven  hills  were  gradually  return- 
ing into  the  visible  universe,  after  their  sojourn  in  unknown 
space. 

And  perhaps  it  was  merely  this  unexpected  clearing  up  of 
the  morning  that  drew  Barbara  Maclean  away  from  her  house- 
hold duties ;  but,  at  all  events,  before  going  out,  she  dressed 
herself  with  unusual  care,  for  the  better  display  of  such  small 
articles  of  finery  as  she  possessed.  When  eventually  she  left 
the  house,  she  took  her  way  along  the  sea-front,  apparently 
with  no  very  set  purpose.  She  passed  the  railway  station. 
She  reached  the  South  Quay,  at  which  the  Aros  Castle  was 
lying ;  but,  as  a  single  swift  and  covert  glance  assured  her,  no 
officer  was  visible  on  board ;  it  was  not  yet  time  for  the 
steamer  to  sail,  and  at  present  the  only  work  going  forward 
was  the  trundling  in  of  barrow-loads  of  coal  from  the  adjoin- 


136  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

ing  trucks.  She  continued  her  seemingly  aimless  stroll.  She 
arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  Gallows  Hill ;  and  here  she  lingered 
about  for  some  little  time,  looking  at  the  nets  and  boats  and 
whitewashed  cottages  that  are  a  survival  from  the  time  when 
Duntroone  was  little  more  than  a  fishing-village.  The  sun- 
light was  becoming  more  and  more  general.  There  was  a 
sj>ring-like  mildness  and  sweetness  in  the  air.  The  waters  of 
the  bay  were  now  a  shining  azure  as  well  as  the  farther  plain  ; 
and  the  long  spur  of  Kerrara,  shooting  out  into  them,  was  of 
burning  gold. 

And  when  she  turned  to  make  her  way  back  again,  she  was 
regarding  an  equally  cheerful  scene — the  wooded  hills,  the 
houses  dotted  on  the  slopes,  the  ivied  castle  at  the  point,  the 
ethereal  mountains  of  Morven  beyond  the  blue ;  and  it  was 
but  natural  that  when  she  came  to  the  coal-trucks  she  should 
go  outside,  otherwise  her  view  would  have  been  debarred.  But 
passing  outside  the  coal-trucks  brought  her  close  to  the  Aros 
Castle — indeed,  she  had  to  go  by  within  touching  distance  of 
the  gangway ;  and  it  was  at  this  moment  that  she  chanced  to 
raise  her  eyes — and  behold  !  here  was  the  purser,  talking  to  a 
friend.  He  immediately  turned  from  his  companion,  and  ad- 
dressed her  as  she  approached: 

"  Are  you  going  a  trip  with  us  to-day,  Miss  Maclean  ?" 

"Oh  no,"  she  answered,  in  pretty  confusion;  "I — I  only 
went  to  have  a  look  at  the  old  part  of  the  town." 

"Then  if  you  will  come  on  board,"  said  he,  politely,  "  we 
will  take  v<>u  across  to  the  North  Quay,  and  it  will  save  you 
the  walk  round.      We  are  off  in  a  few  minutes  now." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  indeed,"  said  she,  with  modest  and  smil- 
ing eyes;  and  forthwith  she  passed  along  the  gangway,  he 
following;  and  she  stepped  on  to  the  upper  deck — whirl)  was 
very  different  from  any  part  of  the  old  Sanda,  for  here  every- 
thing v>as  trim  and  smart,  the  paint  and  varnish  fresh  and 
clean,  the  brass -work  as  brilliant  as  polish  could  make  it. 
And  Ogilvie  fetched  a  deck-chair  for  her,  though  she  did  not 
care  to  be  seated;  the  run  across  to  the  North  Quay  would 
not  he  of  long  duration. 

He  chatted  pleasantly  to  her  for  a  little  while,  about  the 
ordinary  topics  of  I  hintroonc  ;  and  Barbara  did  her  best  to 
answer  with  animation  and  accord,  though  at  times  she  was  a 


A    PTARMIGAN    BROOCH  137 

little  hampered  for  want  of  the  proper  English  phrase.  One 
thing  she  did  manage — she  cured  him  of  the  habit  of  calling 
her '"  Miss  Maclean." 

"  My  name  is  Barbara,"  she  said,  almost  with  reproach. 

"  I'm  sure  I  beg  your  pardon,  Miss  Barbara — I  ought  to 
have  remembered — " 

"  But  how  could  you  remember  ?"  said  she,  coyly  ;  "  I  am 
sure  now  you  do  not  recollect  where  it  was  that  we  first  met." 

"  Indeed  I  do,  then,"  he  answered  at  once.  "And  the  next 
time  we  meet  on  such  an  occasion,  I  will  look  to  you  to  give 
me  a  dance." 

"  I  hope  so,"  murmured  Barbara,  with  some  touch  of  color, 
and  lowered  eyes. 

The  train  crept  into  the  station  ;  and  presently  a  few  pas- 
sengers made  their  appearance,  coming  towards  the  Aros  Cas- 
tle. Among  the  first  of  these  to  reach  the  gangway  were  a  lady 
and  her  two  daughters,  the  latter  tall,  fair-haired,  English- 
looking  girls,  with  good  features  and  distinguished  bearing. 
As  the  little  stout  mamma  stepped  on  deck,  she  bestowed  a 
brief  nod  of  recognition  upon  the  purser,  who  respectfully 
raised  his  cap ;  then  she  and  her  charges  went  below  to  the 
saloon,  to  deposit  there  their  wares  and  rugs  and  books. 

"That  is  Mrs.  Stewart,  of  Innistroan,"  said  Jack  Ogilvie  to 
Barbara,  in  a  confidential  whisper. 

Almost  immediately  thereafter  the  three  ladies  reappeared  ; 
and  the  mother,  coining  over  to  where  the  purser  was  stand- 
ing, said — perhaps  a  trifle  brusquely,  "  Can  I  speak  with  you 
for  a  moment,  Mr.  Ogilvie?" 

Barbara  was  thus  left  alone  ;  but  she  could  all  the  more 
carefully  study  the  dress  and  bearing  of  these  three  new- 
comers, whom  Ogilvie  seemed  to  regard  with  considerable 
deference.  Ordinarily  he  was  rather  off-hand  in  his  manner ; 
but  now,  in  speaking  to  this  Mrs.  Stewart — probably  about 
some  business  matter — he  was  quite  subdued  and  attentive. 
And  as  for  the  two  girls,  about  whom  Barbara  was  chiefly 
curious,  she  could  not  but  be  conscious  of  their  air  of  dis- 
tinction, however  simply  and  plainly  they  might  be  dressed. 
Something,  she  knew  not  what,  told  her  they  were  of  "  the 
gentry."  With  intense  but  concealed  scrutiny  she  watched 
their  demeanor  as  they  listened  to  the  purser;  she  observed 


138  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

the  half-indifferent  look,  the  occasional  glance  towards  the  sur- 
rounding neighborhood.  As  for  their  costume,  it  seemed  to 
be  the  perfection  of  unostentatious  neatness  and  fitness ;  the 
only  ornament  that  each  wore — so  far  as  she  could  see — was 
an  insignificant  little  brooch  consisting  of  a  ptarmigan's  foot 
set  in  silver,  that  fastened  the  collar  of  the  blue  serge  jacket. 

But  by  this  time  the  hawsers  had  been  thrown  off,  and  the 
Aros  Castle  was  moving  across  to  the  other  quay.  Ogilvie 
came  back  to  Barbara. 

"  This  is  a  very  short  sail  you  have  taken  with  us,"  he  said 
to  her,  in  his  easy  and  familiar  way,  as  they  were  approach- 
ing the  pier.  "  Some  other  time  you  and  Miss  Jessie  must 
go  for  a  run  with  us  to  Tobermory,  and  there  we  will  pick 
you  up  on  our  way  back.  I  know  that  Mrs.  Maclean  has 
friends  in  Tobermory." 

The  steamer  was  now  slowing ;  and  it  turned  out  that  Bar- 
bara was  the  only  passenger  that  meant  to  land.  When  the 
gangway  had  been  shoved  out,  she  timidly  took  her  purse 
from  her  pocket — it  was  probably  but  poorly  furnished. 

"Will  you  tell  me — "  she  said,  bashfully,  when  he  .inter- 
rupted her ;  he  had  noticed  that  little  movement. 

"  No,  no  ;  no,  no,"  said  he,  smiling,  and  he  put  up  his  hand 
in  a  deprecatory  fashion.  "  You  must  not  think  of  such  a 
thing.  We  shall  only  be  too  glad  to  take  you  across  the  bay 
any  time  you  happen  to  be  on  the  other  side.  And  tell  Miss 
Jessie  she  must  bring  you  for  a  longer  sail." 

She  said  good-bye,  and  stepped  ashore  ;  she  watched  the 
passengers  embark,  and  the  Aros  Castle  steam  away  again  ; 
soon  she  lost  sight  of  Ogilvie,  who  had  apparently  gone 
below ;  and  the  last  figures  she  could  make  out  were  those  of 
the  two  tall  young  ladies,  who  had  seemed  to  possess  so 
strange  and  mysterious  a  quality  of  attraction  and  perfection, 
even  to  the  fancy  of  a  girl. 

When  she  went  up  into  the  town  she  met  her  cousin  Jess, 
who  had  been  along  to  buy  some  wool ;  and  as  they  proceed- 
ed borne  together  they  encountered  Lauchlan  Maclntyre.  The 
shoemaker  was  of  morose  aspect. 

"You'll  be  coming  to  the  lecture  to-morrow  eight,  Mr. 
Maclntyre?"  Baid  Jess,  pleasantly. 

"  I'm  not  so  sure,1'  responded  Long  Lauchie,  in  melancholy 


A    PTARMIGAN     BROOCH  139 

tones.  "It  seems  a  fearfu'  waste  of  opportunity.  To  think 
of  a  lecture  on  such  things  as  songs,  when  there's  but  the  one 
subject  that  is  a  tremendous  concern  to  us,  and  that's  the  cry- 
ing evil  that  is  ruining  us  as  a  nation.  Aye,  just  ruining  us — 
ruining  us — the  curse  of  drink  that  is  destroying  the  kintry 
from  end  to  end.  And  what  can  we  do  but  wrestle  with  it, 
in  Parliament  and  out  of  Parliament,  in  season  and  out  of 
season,  aye,  and  mek  every  election  turn  on  it,  and  every  candi- 
date pledged  for  total  abolition,  aye,  have  a  section  of  the 
Rechabites  in  every  fullage  everywhere,  until  we  put  down 
and  stamp  out  this  terrible,  terrible  drinking.  There  must  be 
no  peace  until  the  whiskey  traffic  is  wholly  rooted  out;  and 
until  a  brand  is  put  on  a  man  that  would  be  seen  to  enter  a 
public-house — aye,  a  just  persecution — a  lawful  persecution — 
there  must  be  no  moderation — no  mercy — " 

"  But  you'll  drive  common-sense  folk  into  rebellion,"  Jess 
said,  good-humoredly.  "  Would  you  have  them  take  to  drink 
in  self-defence  I" 

"  Aw,  to  hear  you  talk  like  that,  and  you  at  your  years  !" 
said  the  shoemaker,  almost  in  despair.  "  As  sure's  death  it's 
just  fearful  to  hear  one  of  your  years  talk  like  that.  And  to 
think  that  you  are  on  the  side  of  the  drunkards,  and  the 
licensed  victuallers,  and  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  But  there's 
time  for  ye  yet.  If  you'll  tek  a  warning,  ye  may  turn  yet. 
You'll  come  over  to  us — aye — you'll  come  over  to  us  and  be 
saved — as  sure  as  death,  you'll  be  saved." 

"  Well,  indeed,  Mr.  Maclntyre,"  said  Jess — and  her  pretty 
gray  eyes,  that  at  times  were  rather  inclined  to  sarcasm,  were 
now  perfectly  demure,  "  I'm  not  afflicted  with  any  great 
craving,  except  now  and  again  for  a  cup  of  tea ;  but  when  the 
hour  of  trial  comes — when  I  have  to  fight  the  demon — it  will 
be  a  great  thing  for  me  to  have  an  example  to  look  to.  And 
you'll  give  me  a  word  of  encouragement — " 

"  I  will,  I  will,"  said  the  shoemaker,  with  a  deep  sigh. 
"It's  but  little  we  can  do,  maybe,  to  help  on  the  cause;  but, 
little  or  great,  it  must  be  done. 

"I  will,  I  will,"  said  the  shoemaker,  solemnly  and  sadly; 
and  with  that  he  continued  on  his  way;  while  Jess  turned  to 
her  cousin  Barbara,  who  had  for  some  time  been  staring  into 
the  window  of  the  jeweller's  shop. 


140  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

It  was  a  favorite  resort  of  hers.  For  here  she  could  feast 
her  eyes  on  treasures  that  were  far  beyond  her  means — silver 
fastening-pins  set  with  lemon-yellow  and  white  and  clear  lilac 
cairngorms — scent-bottles  inlaid  with  the  various  clan  tartans 
— brooches,  bracelets,  necklets  studded  with  Iona  stones — ear- 
rings, finger-rings,  sleeve-links,  lockets  —  tray  after  tray  of 
fascinating  knick-knacks  of  the  very  names  of  many  of  which 
she  was  entirely  ignorant.  And  at  this  moment,  when  Jess 
said — 

"  Will  you  wait  a  moment,  Barbara,  or  will  you  come  into 
the  shop?  I  want  Mr.  Boyd  to  see  what  is  the  matter  with 
my  watch — " 

Barbara  accepted  the  invitation  with  a  secret  joy  ;  though 
it  was  in  a  timorous  kind  of  fashion  that  she  followed  her 
cousin  into  this  magician's  palace  of  wonders  and  splendors. 
She  looked  all  round  the  jeweller's  shop  with  an  awe-stricken 
air ;  and  then  her  eyes  came  back  to  the  glass  cases  on  the 
counter,  where  there  was  an  endless  variety  of  surprisingly 
beautiful  objects.  Not  only  that,  but  a  tray  of  brooches 
that  a  customer  had  been  inspecting  just  before  they  came 
in,  remained  open  on  the  top  of  one  of  the  cases ;  so  that  if  she 
chose  she  could  take  up  any  one  of  those  marvels  for  closer 
examination.  And  so  while  Mr.  Boyd — who  was  an  old  friend 
of  the  Macleans,  and  a  solicitous,  kindly,  amiable  sort  of  man — 
was  inquiring  into  the  state  and  condition  of  Jessie's  watch, 
Barhara  was  passing  in  review  these  priceless  things,  compar- 
ing and  admiring  and  coveting.  But  in  especial  she  was  at- 
tracted by  the  brooch  that  occupied  the  place  of  honor  in  the 
middle  of  the  tray.  It  was  formed  of  a  ptarmigan's  foot,  set 
in  gold,  with  a  deep-yellow  cairngorm  above,  and  another  stone 
of  the  same  kind  and  color  fixed  in  the  middle  claw.  Now 
the  ptarmigan  brooches  worn  by  the  two  young  ladies  who 
were  on  board  the  Aros  Castle  —  and  whom  Jack  Ogilvic 
seemed  to  treat  with  so  much  respect — were  very  plain  and 
simple  ornaments;  here  was  something  of  a  similar  character, 
but  more  rich  and  resplendent,  and  better  calculated  for  pur- 
of  display.     Alas!  she  knew  too  well  that  it  was  far 

away  OUt  Of  the   reach   of  her  small  savings:    sudi  means  and 

methods  of  drawing  attention,  of  compelling  admiration,  were 
for  people  whose  purses  were  abundantly  filled. 


A     PTARMIGAN     BROOCH  141 

Ultimately  it  was  decided  that  the  recusant  watch  should 
be  left  behind;  and  then,  business  over,  Mr.  Boyd  proceeded 
to  a  little  neighborly  gossip,  in  the  course  of  which  Barbara 
was  introduced  to  him,  her  beautiful  eyes  winning  favor  as 
usual.  The  friendly  jeweller  sent  his  best  regards  to  the 
widow ;  and  finally  Jessie  and  Barbara  left  the  shop. 

But  they  had  gone  only  a  few  yards  when  Mr.  Boyd  came 
after  them — he  had  not  stayed  to  put  on  any  kind  of  head- 
covering. 

"  Miss  Maclean,"  said  he,  and  simultaneously  both  girls 
turned.  "I  beg  your  pardon,  but  did  you  happen  to  notice 
a  gold  ptarmigan  brooch — it  was  in  a  tray  on  the  counter — " 

At  the  same  moment  there  was  a  slight  click  as  of  some- 
thing dropping  on  the  pavement.     He  glanced  downward. 

"  Oh,  here  it  is,"  he  said  ;  and  he  stooped  and  picked  it 
up. 

For  a  second  there  was  silence.  The  watch-maker  looked 
grave  and  troubled ;  Jess  appeared  to  be  astonished  and  per- 
plexed rather  than  frightened  ;  Barbara,  timid  as  a  fawn  as 
she  ordinarily  was,  alone  remained  perfectly  impassive  of 
countenance. 

"  It  must  have  caught  on  to  some  part  of  your  dress,"  said 
Mr.  Boyd,  slowly,  and  with  some  constraint.  "  Well,  I'm 
sorry  to  have  caused  you  any  trouble."  And  thereupon  and 
with  no  further  word  he  returned  to  his  shop. 

But  on  the  evening  of  this  same  day,  sitting  by  his  fire- 
side, John  Boyd  seemed  thoughtful  and  depressed ;  and  his 
wife  would  insist  on  knowing  the  reason.  And  at  last,  under 
severe  injunctions  of  secrecy,  he  revealed  to  her  the  story. 

"  I  cannot  tell  what  to  think,"  he  continued,  as  if  com- 
muning with  himself.  "  I  made  the  excuse,  then  and  there, 
for  the  sake  of  my  old  friend  Mrs.  Maclean.  And  maybe  it 
was  true ;  maybe  their  dress  did  catch  up  the  brooch.  Such 
things  have  happened.  For  how  can  I  believe  that  Jessie 
Maclean,  or  this  cousin  of  hers,  that  seems  a  nice,  modest, 
quiet  sort  of  a  girl,  would  knowingly  lift  a  piece  of  jewelry 
from  the  counter  and  carry  it  away  ?  I  cannot  believe  it. 
And  then,  ye  see,  goodwife,  I  did  not  actually  find  it  in  the 
possession  of  either  of  them.  If  I  had,  it  would  have  been 
my  duty  to  have  called  in  the  police — " 


142  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Jolin  !"'  exclaimed  his  wife,  "  have  ye  taken  leave  of  your 
wits  ?  Aye,  and  if  it  was  the  half  of  your  shop  that  was  in 
question,  would  ye  bring  scandal  and  disgrace  on  the  remain- 
ing years  of  an  old  friend  ?  No,  no  ! — not  for  half  the  shop, 
or  the  whole  of  the  shop !  I'm  better  acquainted  with  ye 
than  ye  are  yourself,  man  !  And  no  doubt  it  was  the  tassels 
and  bugles  that  the  young  girls  are  so  fond  of  nowadays  that 
catched  on  to  the  brooch — no  doubt  at  all  that  was  it !" 

"  Maybe  so,  Jean,  maybe  so,"  said  the  watch-maker,  who 
seemed  to  have  been  quite  unhinged  and  upset  by  this  in- 
cident. "But  mind,  not  one  word  to  any  living  creature. 
That  is  my  charge  to  ye.  Not  one  single  word  about  it  to 
any  living  creature." 


CHAPTER   XVIII 
A    LECTURE    AND    THEREAFTER 

It  wanted  but  an  hour  to  the  lecture,  yet  Jess  Maclean  did 
not  stir;  she  sat  silent  and  absorbed — an  unusual  mood  with 
her,  for  she  was  naturally  of  a  merry  temperament ;  her  head 
was  bent  over  her  needle-work,  and  she  did  not  look  up  when 
she  was  spoken  to. 

"  Jess,"  said  her  mother,  "  what  has  ailed  you  all  the  day 
long  ?  Any  one  would  think  this  should  be  a  great  occasion 
for  you — you  that  have  always  been  so  proud  of  Allan  Hen- 
derson, and  telling  us  what  we  might  expect  of  him.  And 
now  he  is  appearing  before  the  public — and  a  great  many 
people  coming  to  see  him — and  who  should  be  more  pleased 
than  yourself — aye,  and  more  to  the  front  at  such  a  time,  for 
Allan  is  never  tired  of  saying  that  you  are  the  best  friend 
and  adviser  he  has  got — " 

"  I  am  not  going  to  the  lecture,  mother,"  said  Jess. 

"  Well,  well,  now,  and  what  is  the  meaning  of  it  all  ?"  the 
widow  demanded.  She  regarded  her  daughter  a  little  more 
narrowly,  and  was  alarmed  to  see  that  there  were  tears  in  her 
eyes.     "  What  is  the  matter,  Jess  ?"  she  exclaimed. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  mother? — what  is  the  matter?"  the 
girl  cried,  suddenly  bursting  into  a  passionate  fit  of  weeping 
and  sobbing.  "  How  can  I  go  to  the  lecture — how  can  I  face 
those  people — when  I  am  a  suspected  thief  ?" 

And  there  and  then,  in  incoherent  fashion,  she  told  the 
story  of  the  incident  of  the  previous  day,  over  which  she  had 
been  brooding  for  four-and-twenty  hours  and  more.  Mean- 
while the  little  widow's  indignation  was  like  to  have  altogether 
overcome  her  powers  of  utterance. 

"And  that's  John  Boyd — that's  John  Boyd  !"  she  managed 
to  say  at  last — though  she  was  about  breathless  with  anger 
and  scorn.  "And  who  but  your  own  father  was  it  that  helped 


144  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

him  when  he  had  to  make  a  composition  with  his  creditors 
over  twenty  years  ago,  aye,  helped  to  make  him  the  well- 
to-do  man  he  is  this  day ;  and  the  best  of  friends  we  were 
supposed  to  be ;  and  now  it's  this  John  Boyd — it's  this  John 
Boyd  that  comes  forward  and  accuses  one  of  my  girls  of 
being  a  thief  !"  She  rose  from  her  chair  and  threw  aside 
her  work.  "  Well,"  said  she,  with  resolute  lips,  "  this  very 
minute  I  am  going  along  to  have  a  word  with  John  Boyd. 
I  will  see  what  he  means  by  calling  either  of  my  girls  a 
thief—" 

"  Mother,"  interposed  Jess,  piteously,  "  he  did  not  say  that 
— he  did  not  say  anything  of  the  kind.  When  he  spoke 
it  was  to  make  an  excuse.  It  was  Mr.  Boyd  himself  that 
suggested  it  was  likely  the  brooch  had  caught  on  to  the 
dress  of  one  or  other  of  us.  That's  what  he  said.  But  all 
the  same  I  could  sec  what  he  was  thinking.  I  saw  his  look 
— though  I  did  not  quite  understand  it  till  afterwards.  And 
ever  since  I  have  been  going  over  what  happened  ;  and  now 
— now  I  know  what  he  was  thinking  when  he  picked  up  the 
brooch  from  the  pavement.  I  know  it — I  know  it — I  could 
see  it — and — and  I  never  thought  to  be  taken  for  a  thief." 
And  here  there  was  a  fresh  burst  of  crying.  "  It  isn't  for  a 
thief,"  she  said,  between  her  sobs,  "  to  go  to  hear  Allan's  lect- 
ure— and  face  all  those  people — " 

"Jess,"  said  Mrs.  Maclean,  firmly,  "you'll  do  as  I  bid  ye. 
You'll  go  across  to  the  house,  and  get  yourself  dressed  and 
ready,  and  you'll  put  out  my  best  things,  and  you'll  send 
Kirsty  over  to  help  me  to  shut  up  the  shop.  I  was  not  going 
to  the  lecture  ;  but  now  I  am  going  ;  and  I  do  not  care  who 
the  people  are,  but  I  will  show  them,  when  Barbara  and  you 
go  in,  that  you  can  hold  up  your  heads  with  any.  And  as  for 
John  Boyd—" 

"  Mother,  you  must  not  quarrel  with  Mr.  Boyd,"  pleaded 
Jess.  "  It  was  only  natural  he  should  he  startled.  And  he 
is  an  old  friend — •" 

"Aye,  and  you  do  not  know  the  saying,  then?"  retorted 
the  little  widow,  sharply.  " '  Friendship  is  as  it's  kept.''  The 
man  tli.it  suspects  either  you  or  Barbara  of  being  a  thief  is 
no  friend  of  mine.  But  away  with  ye,  now,  and  get  ready — 
if  Barbara  will  let  you  have  live  minutes  of  the  looking-glass, 


A    LECTURE    AND     THEREAFTER  145 

for  she's  a  fearfu'  creature  for  making  much  of  herself  and 
decking  herself  up.  And  when  Mr.  McFadyen  comes,  you 
will  tell  him  he  must  get  me  a  ticket,  and  I  will  pay  him  for 
it  afterwards." 

Peter  McFadyen  was  an  important  and  a  consequential  man 
this  night.  The  provost,  who  had  consented  to  preside  at  the 
meeting,  had  been  summoned  away  to  Edinburgh  on  business 
connected  with  the  town ;  and  the  senior  councillor,  nothing 
loath,  had  been  prevailed  on  to  take  his  place.  And  fully 
sensible  of  his  responsibility  was  Peter.  When  the  members 
of  the  Literary  and  Scientific  Association,  and  their  friends, 
with  many  of  the  townsfolk,  and  a  few  representatives  of  the 
neighboring  gentry,  were  at  length  assembled  in  the  Masonic 
Hall,  the  chairman  was  in  nowise  facetious  and  droll — as  if 
he  were  in  Mrs.  Maclean's  back  parlor ;  he  was  dignified,  and 
measured  of  speech.  And  when,  in  formally  introducing  the 
lecturer  to  the  audience,  he  had  pronounced  a  pompous  little 
eulogium,  which  caused  Allan  to  look  particularly  uncomfort- 
able, Mr.  McFadyen  thereafter  glanced  down  towards  the  Mac- 
leans, who  were  seated  in  the  front  row.  It  was  plain  he 
would  have  said  :  "  Do  you  perceive  that,  now  ?  A  man  may 
be  sprightly  and  jocular  enough  in  the  freedom  of  private  so- 
ciety, and  yet  know  how  to  perform  his  public  duties  with 
proper  state  and  decorum."  Alas !  Jessie  Maclean  never  looked 
his  way — paid  no  heed  to  him.  She  was  intently  regarding 
Allan — she  was  tremblingly  anxious  that  he  should  betray  no 
nervousness — in  her  heart  she  was  beseeching  this  audience 
to  be  kind  and  attentive  and  sympathetic.  Barbara,  who  had 
adorned  herself  with  her  most  effective  finery,  kept  covertly 
watching  the  door ;  the  handsome  purser  had  not  yet  put  in 
an  appearance — perhaps  the  Aros  Castle  was  late  ;  perhaps  he 
had  forgotten  the  half-implied  promise. 

Jess  need  not  have  been  concerned.  When  the  young 
school-master  rose  and  placed  the  sheets  of  his  MS.  on  the 
stand  before  him,  there  was  not  a  trace  of  nervousness  about 
him  ;  he  acknowledged,  and  barely  acknowledged,  the  friend- 
ly reception  accorded  him  ;  and  at  once,  and  in  a  business-like 
way,  proceeded  with  his  lecture — the  main  thesis  of  which 
was  to  the  effect  that  if  the  German  people  were  to  vanish 
from  the  face  of  the  earth,  leaving  only  this  invaluable  col- 
7 


146  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

lection  of  Volkslieder,  the  philosopher  of  future  centuries 
could  reconstruct  the  nation,  with  all  its  desires,  aims,  habits, 
and  occupations,  from  these  various  and  artless  utterances.  But 
it  was  when  he  proceeded  to  give  specimens  of  the  folk-songs 
— using  for  the  most  part  his  own  translations — songs  of  fiery 
patriotism,  songs  of  plaintive  home-yearning,  love-songs,  and 
sad  farewells,  songs  of  simple  family  life,  songs  of  banter  and 
merriment,  more  rarely  of  sarcasm,  joyous  drinking-songs, 
songs  and  choruses  of  the  hunter's  craft,  legends  and  old-world 
tales — then  it  was  that  he  captured  the  interest  of  his  audi- 
ence, and  was  rewarded  by  frequent  if  timid  outbursts  of  ap- 
plause. It  was  the  non-literary  ballad  that  he  chose  by  pref- 
erence— the  voice  of  the  common  people  ;  but  he  could  not 
well  exclude  Heine's  "  Pilgrimage  to  Kevlaar,"  or  Uhland's 
"  Landlady's  Daughter,"  for  they  also  were  of  the  people. 
And  when  he  repeated  a  lover's  passionate  appeal  to  his 
sweetheart,  or  told  some  pathetic  story  of  half  -  forgotten 
times,  was  he  not  really  addressing,  out  of  all  this  audience, 
only  one  ?  There  was  some  comparison  of  these  German 
folk-songs  with  the  Gaelic  songs  of  the  West  Highlands,  and 
mention  made  of  one  or  two  well-known  favorites  ;  all  this 
was  meant  for  Barbara — since  she  had  been  so  graciously 
kind  as  to  come  to  the  lecture. 

And  yet  it  may  be  doubted  whether  Barbara  heard  any- 
thing more  than  an  occasional  word  or  phrase,  conveying  next 
to  nothing.  She  had  abandoned  any  hope  she  may  have  en- 
tertained of  seeing  Jack  Ogilvie  appear  at  the  door  of  the 
hall ;  and  now  her  attention  was  turned  to  the  hall  itself,  the 
like  of  which  she  had  never  beheld  before.  For  over  the 
deep  red  walls  hung  a  wonderful  ceiling  of  clear  gray-blue  ; 
and  at  the  farther  end  of  the  ceiling  a  golden  sun  sent  out 
flashing  rays,  while  at  the  other  extreme  shone  a  silver  moon 
surrounded  by  seven  stars.  Then  all  round  the  room  were 
mysterious  devices;  and  there  were  painted  pillars;  and  an 
arch  ;  and  in  the  key-stone  of  the  arch  an  eye  that  glared  at 
her  as  if  out  of  some  vague  immensity.  Compass,  square,  and 
trowel  she  might  or  might  not  understand — they  were  com- 
monplace  emblems;  but  this  immovable  eye  seemed  to  have 
some  incomprehensible  and  compelling  power  of  scrutiny  ;  it 
fascinated  her;  she  could  not  get  away  from  that  relentless 


A    LECTURE    AND    THEREAFTER  147 

gaze.  And  so,  if  she  did  listen  at  all,  it  was  in  a  mechanical 
fashion.  "  Prinz  Eugen  der  edle  Ritter,  "  "Doctor  Eisenbart," 
"  Der  Jager  aus  Kurpfalz,"  had  apparently  but  little  interest 
for  her. 

Nevertheless,  something  did  at  last  happen  to  arouse  her 
from  her  apathetic  dreaming.  The  lecturer  had  been  giving 
examples  of  the  better  known  of  the  German  bacchanalian 
songs — "  Crambambuli,"  "  Im  kiihlen  Keller,"  and  the  like — 
when,  to  everybody's  amazement,  a  tall  and  gaunt  form  was 
seen  to  rise  in  the  very  midst  of  the  assemblage.  It  was  Long 
Lauchie  the  shoemaker.  For  a  moment  he  seemed  frightened 
at  his  own  temerity,  and  looked  round  in  a  helpless  way  ;  but 
there  was  an  inward  monitor  to  support  him  ;  the  next  second 
he  had  found  his  speech. 

"  I  am  not  wishing  to  interrupt,"  he  said,  in  Gaelic,  "  but 
every  man  has  his  duty,  and  I  will  not  stand  by  and  be  listen- 
ing in  silence — " 

"  Order,  order,"  called  the  chairman,  with  a  portentous 
frown. 

But  the  shoemaker,  pale  as  he  was  on  finding  himself  in 
this  novel  position,  with  all  eyes  turned  towards  him,  was  not 
to  be  deterred. 

"  It  is  I  that  must  make  my  protest,  if  there  is  to  be  such 
praise  of  drinking,  and  not  a  word  of  warning  to  the 
young—" 

"  Order,  order,"  the  chairman  called  out  again ;  and  then  he 
added,  with  still  greater  severity  :  "  Maclntyre,  sit  down,  and 
behave  yourself  I" 

Meanwhile  the  lecturer  had  stopped,  and  was  calmly  wait- 
ing to  hear  what  Long  Lauchie  had  to  say.  It  was  Mrs. 
Maclean  who  was  most  violently  indignant  over  the  interrup- 
tion. 

"  That  tipsy  maniac !"  she  exclaimed,  in  an  undertone. 
"  Will  nobody  put  him  out  ?  To  bring  disgrace  on  a  meet- 
ing like  this,  and  Allan  going  on  just  splendid  !" 

"  Such  praise  of  the  sin  of  drinking,"  continued  the  shoe- 
maker, doggedly,  "  I  will  set  my  face  against,  no  matter  how 
many  there  may  be  to  cry  me  down.  I  have  no  word  to  say 
against  the  young  man  Allan  Henderson  ;  it  is  not  I  that 
have  a  word  to  say  against  him  ;  but  when  I  hear  such  fear- 


148  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

ful  things  repeated,  I  am  bound  to  lift  up  my  voice.  Yes,  in- 
deed. Is  there  any  one  here  that  knows  what  drink  is  doing 
in  this  land — what  terrible,  terrible  things  are  happening  all 
through  the  whiskey — " 

"  Lauchlan  Maclntyre,"  called  out  the  chairman — who  was 
beside  himself  with  rage  and  shame  on  finding  his  authority 
thus  scouted,  "  if  you  do  not  instantly  resume  your  seat  I  will 
ask  one  or  two  of  the  young  men  near  you  to  remove  you 
from  this  assembly.  Do  you  hear  me,  now  ?  Will  you  sit 
down  ?" 

"  Drink,"  the  shoemaker  went  on,  "  is  the  ruin  and  curse 
of  this  country — it  is  bringing  a  judgment  upon  us — " 

"  Then  I  do  call  on  the  young  men,"  broke  in  Peter,  with 
concealed  fury.  "  Remove  him  !  You  there  near  him,  re- 
move that  person!  Put  him  out.  I,  as  chairman  of  this 
meeting,  authorize  you  to  put  him  out." 

Well,  there  were  two  or  three  of  the  younger  lads  only  too 
glad  to  have  a  little  bit  of  fun,  and  the  luckless  shoemaker 
— offering  no  physical  resistance,  it  is  true,  but  still  insisting 
on  his  conscientious  protest  against  anything  that  savored  of 
the  praise  of  drink — was  haled  away  and  conducted  to  the 
door,  and  ejected  into  the  night.  Thereafter  peace  and  har- 
mony were  restored  ;  and  the  lecture  was  continued  and  ended 
in  the  most  satisfactory  manner,  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks 
to  the  school-master  bringing  the  proceedings  to  a  close. 

And  very  lively  and  content  was  the  little  supper-party  that 
later  on  assembled  at  Mrs.  Maclean's — a  supper-party  limited 
to  five,  at  the  cunning  suggestion  of  the  councillor.  For,  said 
he,  they  could  be  much  merrier,  with  less  of  restraint,  when 
they  were  "  by  themselves;"  and  "by  themselves"  had  come 
to  mean  himself  and  .less,  and  Allan  and  Barbara,  with  the 
widow  as  hostess  and  guardian.  This,  therefore,  was  the 
circle  now  gathered  round  the  hospitable  board  ;  and  a  very 
happy  little  circle  it  seemed  to  be.  Jess,  in  especial,  was  in 
-real  spirits  ;  she  was  delighted  with  the  way  everything  had 
gone  off,  and  at  the  reception  accorded  to  her  hero;  though, 
as  usual,  she  could  not  help  gibing  and  moeking  at  him. 

"There's  some  that  pretend  to  be  very  masterful  and  cool 
and  undisturbed,"  said  she,  darkly.  "  Put  when  1  see  a  young 
man  that  is  impatient  of  every  word  of  introduction — though 


A    LECTURE    AND    THEREAFTER  149 

all  kinds  of  fine  things  are  being  said  about  him — and  that  is 
anxious  to  plunge  at  once  into  the  business  before  him,  I  can 
tell  that  he  is  just  as  timorous  as  a  mouse,  for  all  his  affecta- 
tion of  composure." 

"  If  you  mean  me,  Jessie,"  said  the  school-master,  laugh- 
ing, "  I  will  confess  this  to  you — that  I  think  I  must  have 
been  nervous.  I  did  not  know  it  at  the  time ;  but  I  guess 
that  it  must  have  been  so,  from  the  sensation  of  relief  I  have 
now  that  it's  all  over." 

"  I  hope,"  observed  Mr.  McFadyen,  who  still  preserved  a 
certain  air  of  state — "  I  hope  I  was  not  too  severe  in  rebuk- 
ing that  fool  of  a  man  Maclntyre — " 

"  Severe !"  cried  the  little  widow,  with  returning  indigna- 
tion. "  He  should  have  been  locked  up  by  the  police !  To 
interrupt  a  meeting  in  that  way !  I  declare  it  made  me  feel 
quite  historical — I  was  like  to  choke — " 

"  And  I  trust  there  was  no  undue  violence,"  continued  the 
councillor,  still  with  something  of  a  grand  air,  "  on  the  part 
of  the  young  men  who  removed  him.  It  was  a  painful  duty 
that  devolved  upon  me ;  but  I  had  to  execute  it ;  and  I  trust 
there  was  no  undue  violence — " 

"  Oh,  you  need  not  trouble  about  that,  Mr.  McFadyen," 
Jess  said,  blithely.  "  The  young  lads  who  carried  out  your 
orders — and  the  shoemaker — did  it  as  peaceably  as  was  pos- 
sible." 

"  Ah,  well,  ah,  well,"  said  Peter,  with  a  sigh  of  satisfac- 
tion, "  it  was  but  a  trifling  incident,  after  all  ;  and  one  may 
fairly  say  that  the  whole  evening  was  a  distinct  success. 
And  though  in  a  measure  I  was  l'esponsible  for  the  conduct 
of  the  proceedings,  still  I  do  not  think  I  am  taking  credit  to 
myself  when  I  maintain  that  everything  went  off  just  beauti- 
ful. And,  mind  you,  Allan,  lad,  it's  a  great  thing  for  you  to 
keep  yourself  before  the  public — you,  that's  starting  the  Latin 
class,  and  having  a  fine  career  before  ye,  as  we  all  of  us  hope. 
It's  a  great  thing  to  be  known  and  respected  by  your  fellow- 
townsmen  ;  and  I  was  well  pleased  to  see,  when  ye  stood  up, 
that  ye  had  a  friendly  welcome  from  them — " 

"  And  what  did  you  think  of  the  Masonic  Hall,  Miss  Bar- 
bara ?"  said  the  young  school-master,  turning  abruptly  to  his 
neighbor — for  he  did  not  like  this  talk  about  himself. 


150  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  I  was  never  seeing  any  place  like  that  before,"  the  girl 
said.  "And  I  could  not  understand  the  meaning  of  the 
things  on  the  walls.  There  was  one,  in  front  of  me,  that  was 
very  strange — it  looked  like  a  large  eye,  single  and  star- 
ing—'' 

"  Oh,  that  is  the  All-seeing  Eye  —  I  suppose,  for  I  am  not 
a  mason,"  he  said. 

She  regarded  him  for  a  moment,  doubtfully. 

"All-seeing?"  she  repeated;  and  then  she  said,  with  some 
petulance :  "  But  how  can  it  be  All-seeing,  when  it  is  only 
painted  on  the  wall  ?" 

"  It  is  merely  an  emblem,"  he  replied,  with  great  gentle- 
ness.    "It  does  not  pretend  to  be  anything  but  a  symbol — " 

"  Is  it  put  there  to  frighten  people  ?"  she  demanded,  resent- 
fully. 

"  Why,  surely  not !" 

"  Then  what  is  the  use  of  it  ? — though  any  one  knows  that 
an  eye  painted  on  a  wall  cannot  be  seeing  anything !"  she 
said.  And  this  was  her  last  word  on  the  subject ;  and  suf- 
ficiently enigmatic  it  was ;  for  he  knew  nothing  of  what  se- 
cret imaginings  had  been  passing  through  her  mind,  as  she 
sat  and  half  listened  to  the  discourse  about  German  folk- 
songs. 

Altogether,  a  cheerful  and  pleasant  hour  or  so,  after  the 
serious  labors  of  the  evening  were  over  ;  but  it  was  growing 
late ;  and  at  length  Mr.  McFadycn  and  Allan  rose  to  go. 
Nevertheless,  the  councillor  was  still  loquacious;  for  there 
was  to  be  a  great  match  at  golf  between  the  station-master 
and  himself  on  the  following  Monday  afternoon ;  and  he 
was  anxious  that  Jessie  and  Barbara  and  Mrs.  Maclean,  too, 
if  that  were  possible,  should  witness  the  contest ;  and  he  was 
discussing  this  project  as  he  went  to  the  door,  both  Jess  and 
In t  mother  accompanying  him.  This  was  Allan's  opportunity 
—  Barbara  having  remained  behind:  it  was  an  opportunity 
thrust  upon  him,  as  it  were  chancewise — an  opportunity  he 
could  not,  and  did  not  care  to,  avoid.  For  he  was  in  a  per- 
turbed and  reckless  mood;  the  events  of  the  evening  had  in 
some  measure  excited  him  ;  still  more  so  the  bewilderment 
of  having  once  again  been  sitting  next  this  beautiful  creature, 
with  glimpses  of  the  raven-black  tangles  of  her  hair,  and  an 


A    LECTURE     AND    THEREAFTER  151 

occasional  glance  from  the  deep,  clear,  mystic  eyes.  And 
now,  when  the  others  had  gone  on,  he  turned  to  her ;  she  be- 
came aware  of  his  approach ;  a  sndden  touch  of  apprehension 
appeared  in  her  face. 

"  Barbara,"  he  said  —  and  his  tones  were  low  and  impas- 
sioned, "  is  it  too  soon  for  me  to  speak  ?" 

She  uttered  no  word — she  looked  afraid. 

"  Did  you  hear  what  some  of  those  lovers  said  in  the 
songs  ?"  he  went  on.  "  And  did  you  not  take  it  to  yourself — 
as  if  I  were  appealing  to  you  ?  For — for,  surely  you  under- 
stand. You  came  to  me  out  of  the  night  and  the  dark ;  and 
now  I  want  you  to  go  with  me  through  the  long  day — the 
long  day  that  I  hope  lies  before  us  two  together.  Will  you 
do  that,  Barbara  ?    Or  is  it  too  soon  to  ask  ?" 

"  Yes,  yes,"  she  said,  with  quick  relief,  "  it  is  that — it  is 
too  soon  yet — " 

"  But  only  too  soon  ?"  he  urged,  seeking  in  vain  for  some 
answering  message  from  those  downcast  eyes.  "  Later  on, 
when  you  have  got  used  to  thinking  of  it,  you  will  not  fear 
to  say  yes — you  will  let  me  hope  for  that  ?" 

But  again  she  was  silent ;  and  here  were  Jess  and  her 
mother  returning  from  the  outer  staircase ;  so  that  for  the 
present  there  was  no  assurance  for  him — only  the  solace  that 
now  she  knew  what  lay  in  his  mind,  burning  there  like  a  con- 
suming: fire. 


CHAPTER    XIX 
COUNCILLOR    V.    STATION-MASTER 

Early  one  afternoon,  the  councillor,  the  station-master,  the 
station-master's  wife,  Jess  Maclean,  and  Barbara  left  the  town 
by  way  of  the  Dunstaffnage  road,  making  for  the  golf-links 
facing  the  western  sea.  And  of  course  Peter  McFadyen  was 
the  life  and  soul  of  this  little  group ;  he  was  overjoyed  at 
Jessie's  condescension  in  coming — indeed  this  was  but  part 
of  the  marked  favor  she  had  shown  him  ever  since  he  had 
begun  to  take  an  active  interest  in  Allan's  welfare  ;  and  he 
was  looking  forward  with  delight  to  another  opportunity  of 
displaying  his  prowess  and  skill.  He  talked  and  laughed 
and  made  merry  jests  ;  he  was  all  eager  anticipation  ;  and 
when  they  faced  the  steep  highway  leading  away  from  Dnn- 
troone,  he  it  was  who  led,  with  his  chest  manfully  puffed  out. 

"  There's  nothing,"  he  maintained,  "  like  a  good  stiff  walk 
for  giving  free  play  to  the  muscles,  and  free  play  to  the  mus- 
cles is  the  '  seeny  quah  non '  on  the  links.  A  soople  wrist 
and  a  springy  ankle — and  there  ye  are  !  What's  the  use  of 
standing  up  like  a  stick  ?  Dod,  I'd  like  to  take  half  the 
golfers  I  see  and  send  them  to  got  lessons  from  a  dancing- 
master  !" 

Nor  were  his  high  spirits  at  all  damped  when  the  little 
party  had  to  pass  the  cemetery. 

"  The  poor  bodies  in  there,"  said  he,  with  much  cheerful- 
ness, "  arc  at  rest ;  and  we'll  be  the  same  in  our  turn.  But 
in  the  meantime — in  the  meantime,"  Peter  remarked,  with  ;i 
twinkle  in  his  eye,  "my  opinion  is  like  that  of  the  idiot  lad- 
die al  the  funeral,  '  I'm  glad  it's  no  me.'" 

And  again  when  they  left  the  highway  to  cross Colquhoun's 
farm  In-  kept  in  front  in  order  to  open  the  gates ;  and  thus 
he  was  enabled  t<>  discover  that  ahead  of  them  there  was 
nothing   more   formidable  than  a  number  of  cows,  the  bull 


COUNCILLOR    V.    STATION-MASTER  153 

being  away  down  in  a  hollow  near  a  small  loch.  Whereupon 
the  cunning  Peter  affected  to  regard  those  animals  with  some 
caution. 

"  That  bull  of  Colquhoun's,"  said  he,  turning  to  the  women- 
folk, "  is  a  terrible  ill-natured  beast;  but  the  only  way  is 
to  pay  no  heed  to  him  ;  you  must  not  shrink  back  on  any 
account.     You  just  follow  me  now  when  I  open  the  gate — " 

Here  the  station-master — a  tall,  thin,  angular  man,  with 
fiery  red  hair — burst  out  laughing. 

"  Peter,  my  friend,"  said  he,  "  you  need  not  be  afraid  of  a 
lot  of  cows.     Yonder's  the  bull,  away  down  by  the  loch." 

Peter  looked  round  and  elevated  his  eyebrows  in  well- 
simulated  astonishment. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  he  observed.  "  I  do  believe  you're  right. 
Not  that  it  matters  whether  he's  there  or  here.  The  one  way 
with  a  bull  is  to  pay  no  heed  to  him.  If  he  had  been  within 
a  yard  of  this  gate,  you'd  have  seen  me  open  it  in  his  face. 
There's  but  the  one  way  with  a  bull,"  reiterated  Peter — as  he 
piloted  the  women  past  the  cows. 

Presently  they  came  within  view  of  the  wide  western  seas 
and  the  hills ;  and  a  wonderful  sight  it  was ;  for  while  all  the 
world  around  them,  both  land  and  water,  lay  under  a  mysteri- 
ous brooding  semi-darkness,  because  of  one  unbroken  cloud 
that  stretched  across  the  whole  of  the  overarching  heavens, 
away  out  by  Mull  and  Morven  there  appeared  to  be  another 
world  altogether,  a  world  of  mountains  shining  as  it  were  be- 
hind a  soft  veil  of  sunlight,  in  ethereal  tones  of  orange  red 
and  silver  gray  and  rose.  No  wonder  the  idle  wanderers 
paused  to  look;  but  the  councillor  was  impatient  for  the  fray, 
and  hurried  them  on. 

Of  a  sudden  Jess  stopped. 

"  What's  that  ?"  said  she,  staring  at  a  whin-bush  a  little 
way  up  the  bank.  "  Is  there  somebody  there  ?  I'm  sure  I 
saw  something  or  somebody  looking  at  me — just  for  a  mo- 
ment— " 

"  I'll  soon  find  out,"  said  the  councillor,  valiantly — for  in 
the  protection  of  weak  feminine  human  nature  he  was  afraid 
of  neither  robber  nor  rabbit.  At  once  he  sprang  up  the 
bank,  with  surprising  agility  ;  he  went  round  by  the  back  of 
the  whins ;  and  there  he  found  Niall  Gorach,  crouching  down 
7* 


154  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

like  a  hare  in  her  form.  Ho  got  hold  of  the  half-witted  lad 
by  the  collar,  and  hauled  him  into  the  road. 

"  Ye  young  scoundrel,  I'll  teach  ye  to  go  frightening  folk 
in  that  way — " 

But  Jess  directly  interposed. 

"  Indeed, you  will  not  harm  him,"  said  she.  "I  have  not 
seen  Niall  since  the  time  he  found  Allan  Henderson  lying 
out  among  the  rocks,  and  I'm  sure  we  are  all  very  much  in- 
debted to  him  ;  and,  Mr.  McFadyen,  it  would  be  wise  like  if 
you  were  to  give  the  lad  a  sixpence,  and  he  would  carry  your 
clubs  for  you  round  the  links." 

Niall  looked  from  one  to  the  other — with  perhaps  a  side 
glance  to  see  if  there  was  any  way  of  escape  from  both.  But 
when  McFadyen,  delighted  to  obey  Jess  in  all  things,  promptly 
unslung  from  his  shoulder  his  bag  of  golfing  implements  and 
handed  it  over,  the  half-witted  creature  took  possession  of  it 
in  quite  a  docile  way,  and  then  he  turned  to  her  who  had  in- 
terceded for  him. 

"Am  I  to  get  a  sixpence?"  he  asked,  timidly. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Jess,  in  friendly  fashion. 

"And  he'll  not  strike  me  ?" 

"He  is  not  thinking  of  any  such  thing!"  she  answered 
him — and  the  assurance  seemed  sufficient. 

A  few  minutes  thereafter  Niall  sidled  up  to  her  again,  and 
said,  in  an  undertone, 

"  I'll  show  ye  the  white  stag." 

"  What  white  Btag  ?"  she  asked,  with  her  gray  eyes  smiling 
in  a  way  that  generally  inspired  confidence. 

"  The  white  stag  that's  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  Creannoch 
Forest.  There's  none  but  me  has  seen  it.  I'll  take  you  there 
— I'll  show  it  to  ye."  But  at  this  point  Niall's  services  were 
required  ;  they  had  arrived  at  the  teeing-ground  ;  the  great 
contest  was  about  to  begin. 

And  now  the  councillor,  to  whom  had  been  accorded  the 
honor  of  opening  the  game,  selected  his  driver  and  took  out 
from  tho  pocket  one  of  the  cream-white  balls.  But  he  was 
very  jocular  all  the  same.  He  wished  to  show  that,  even  in 
tin'  presence  of  these  fair  spectators,  he  was  not  in  the  least 
DervoUS.  Other  players  might  play  in  solemn  silence — he 
was  not  to  be  tyrannized  over  by  either  precept  or  custom. 


COUNCILLOR    V.  STATION-MASTER  155 

And  he  was  still  talking  and  jesting  as  he  stooped  down  to 
form  a  little  tee  of  sand,  on  the  top  of  which  he  placed  his 
ball,  and  even  when  he  rose  again  and  got  hold  of  his  club 
the  inward  seriousness  that  had  possession  of  him  was  not 
allowed  to  appear  on  his  face. 

"  You'll  just  stand  well  back,"  said  he,  facetiously,  "  for 
golf -clubs  sometimes  run  away  wi'  the  player,  and  I  would 
not  like  to  do  you  an  injury." 

Then  he  addressed  himself  to  the  ball.  He  heaved  his 
shoulders  slightly,  to  make  sure  that  everything  was  free  ;  he 
took  a  last  look  at  the  far  height  which  it  whs  his  aim  to 
reach;  he  clinched  his  teeth;  with  his  left  heel  slightly  raised, 
and  his  eyes  fixed  determinedly  on  the  white  object  before 
him,  he  elevated  his  club — up,  and  up,  and  up — until  from 
well  behind  his  back  it  came  forward  and  down  again  with  a 
most  mighty  "swipe."  There  was  a  whistle  of  cleft  air;  the 
councillor  spun  round  on  his  left  foot,  so  prodigious  had  been 
the  force  of  the  stroke  ;  and  when  everybody's  gaze  had  re- 
turned from  asking  what  had  happened,  it  was  startlingly 
evident  that  the  ball  still  remained  on  the  tee.  Peter  broke 
into  a  laugh.  It  was  a  hearty  laugh — not  like  the  ironical 
grin  that  appeared  on  the  features  of  the  station-master. 

"  Dod,"  said  he,  in  humorous  self-disparagement,  "  that's  a 
fine  one  !  That's  well  done !  That's  a  good  beginning !  But 
better  late  luck  than  no  luck — " 

"  Man,  Peter,"  said  his  opponent,  "  were  ye  for  driving  the 
ball  to  Banavie  ?" 

"  Keep  your  breath  to  cool  your  own  parritch,"  retorted 
McFadyen,  confidently.  "  I'm  no  done  with  you  yet,  Jamie. 
The  game's  young." 

For  he  was  again  addressing  himself  to  the  ball.  And  this 
time  he  did  manage  to  hit  it,  and  that  with  savage  energy ; 
but  somehow  something  went  wrong  ;  it  flew  off  at  an  oblique 
angle,  it  rose  unnecessarily  high,  and  almost  immediately 
dropped  at  the  foot  of  the  meadow,  where  there  was  a  ditch 
covered  over  with  whins  and  withered  flag  and  fern. 

"Ye're  in  a  mess  this  time,  Peter,"  observed  the  sta- 
tion-master, grimly,  as  he  proceeded  to  make  a  tee  for 
himself. 

But  Peter  had  too  much  dignity,  and  was  too  anxious  to 


156  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

stand  well  in  the  eyes  of  the  fair,  to  betray  resentment  or  ex- 
asperation. 

"  This  driver's  fit  for  nothing,"  said  be,  regarding  the  club 
with  great  disfavor.  "  It's  forever  heeling  or  toeing.  The 
only  tool  that's  fit  to  drive  with  is  a  bulger ;  catch  me  coming 
out  with  anything  else  again  !  Well,  let's  see  what  you  can 
do,  Jamie." 

For  Gilmour  was  now  about  to  play  his  first  stroke.  And 
when  he  did  so  the  ball  flew  away  with  a  fine  metallic  "pirr" 
that  sounded  pleasantly  to  all  ears  but  Peter's ;  it  skimmed 
the  wide  meadow,  slightly  rising  before  the  end  of  its  flight, 
it  got  clear  over  a  dangerous  hazard  formed  by  a  burn  banked 
with  whins,  and  on  falling  it  was  conspicuous  on  the  face  of 
the  declivity  beyond.  This  patent  success  of  his  enemy  was 
even  more  trying  to  the  councillor's  temper  than  anything 
that  had  happened  before.  But  he  bore  up  well,  lie  said  not 
a  word.  And  it  was  with  a  certain  air  of  calm  composure 
that  he  walked  away  towards  the  ditch  to  look  for  his  ball, 
his  companions  following. 

When  they  came  up  there  was  a  different  story  to  tell. 
The  councillor  could  not  find  the  ball,  nor  was  it  likely  he 
should  ever  find  it,  amid  this  waste  of  withered  herbage  and 
ponds  of  stagnant  water ;  yet  'nevertheless  he  was  hunting 
and  probing  hither  and  thither,  and  viciously  hacking  at  the 
whins  with  his  iron  cleek,  while  the  anger  at  his  heart  was 
now  becoming  outwardly  visible. 

"  Do  not  mind  it,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  the  sympathetic 
Mrs.  Gilmour.  "  Take  another  ball  and  go  on  from  where 
you  are." 

But  Peter,  speechless  with  vexation,  would  continue  his 
probing  and  hacking. 

"  Three  minutes  gone  out  of  the  five,"  said  the  station-mas- 
ter, playfully,  holding  his  watch  in  his  hand. 

"James!"  remonstrated  his  wife,  in  indignant  tones.  "Ye 
would  not  claim  any  such  thing!  Mr.  McFadyen  must  take 
aunt  her  ball,  and  go  on  from  where  he  is." 

"And  who  in  all  creation  ever  heard  of  women  laying 
flown  the  law  on  a  golf-links?"  cried  the  ungallanl  Gilmour; 
and  thru  he  added,  with  a  cruel  smile,  "  Four  minutes  gone, 
Peter." 


'five  minutes  gone  out  ok  the  ten,' said  the  station-master" 


COUNCILLOR     V.  STATION-MASTER  157 

And  at  last  the  imbittered  councillor  had  to  abandon  the 
unavailing  search. 

"  The  first  hole  is  yours,  Gilmour,"  he  said,  gloomily.  "  But 
the  first  hole  is  not  the  game ;  I  would  have  ye  remember 
that." 

"  Well  I  am  aware  of  it,"  said  the  station-master,  blithely. 
"  And  you  know  what  they  say :  '  A  good  ending  is  better 
than  a  bad  beginning.'  " 

And  indeed  fortune  was  not  disposed  to  keep  up  a  perpet- 
ual quarrel  with  the  councillor ;  it  would  hardly  have  been 
fair,  considering  who  were  looking  on,  and  considering  his  ea- 
ger desire  to  shine.  At  the  very  outset  of  their  progress  to 
the  next  hole  the  station-master  got  into  trouble ;  the  drive 
which  he  led  off  was  a  good  drive  in  every  respect  except  di- 
rection ;  at  the  end  of  its  flight  the  ball  disappeared  over  a 
stone-wall,  and  had  no  doubt  dropped  into  the  farm  road  on 
the  other  side.  This  raised  Mr.  McFadyen's  spirits  not  a  lit- 
tle. When  he  came  to  play,  he  paid  scrupulous  attention  to 
his  tee ;  he  placed  the  ball  most  carefully ;  he  paused  for  a 
second  or  two  to  make  sure  of  the  lie  of  the  land ;  and  when 
he  struck,  it  was  with  all  the  swing  and  freedom  and  ar-t  he 
could  command.  Away  went  the  small  white  globe,  in  a 
gradually  rising  curve  ;  they  watched  and  watched  it ;  they 
watched  and  watched  it — against  the  softly  gray  sky ;  and 
when  at  length  it  subsided,  at  a  great  distance  off,  and  out  in 
the  open,  joy  returned  to  the  councillor's  heart  once  more. 

"  Well  done  !"  said  Jess,  quite  honestly. 

"  Well  done  indeed  !"  cried  Mrs.  Gilmour. 

And  even  Barbara,  who  had  been  gazing  away  towards  the 
Sound  of  Mull,  turned  to  see  what  was  going  on. 

"  It's  a  little  better — a  little  better,"  said  Mr.  McFadyen, 
with  a  fine  indifference.  "  One  cannot  always  be  playing  like 
a  born  idiot.    Now  let's  go  and  see  what  Gilmour  is  about." 

By  this  time  the  station-master  had  clambered  over  the  dike, 
and  had  succeeded  in  finding  his  ball,  which  lay  in  a  deep  rut 
in  the  road.  And  now  the  secret  exultation  of  the  councillor 
could  hardly  be  any  longer  suppressed.  He  called  up  the 
women-folk  to  look  over  the  wall  at  Gilmour's  most  miserable 
plight.  For  truly  the  station-master  was  in  ill-luck.  Twice 
he  got  the  ball  well  out  of  the  rut,  and  twice  it  struck  the  top 


158  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

of  the  wall,  falling  back  into  the  road  again.  Peter  laughed 
loud  and  long  over  this  amusing  spectacle. 

"  Hit  him  again,  Jimmie  !"  he  cried.  "  Dod,  it's  grand  ex- 
ercise for  ye  !  But  keep  your  temper !  Keep  your  temper 
now  ! — I've  seen  more  than  one  club  bashed  in  that  road." 

Eventually  the  station-master  got  out  of  all  his  difficulties ; 
but  they  had  sadly  handicapped  him ;  and  when  at  length  he 
and  the  councillor  had  reached  the  green  there  could  be  little 
doubt  about  the  result ;  the  proud  and  pleased  Peter  won  this 
hole  easily. 

And  so,  with  varying  success  and  mishap,  they  made  their 
way  along  and  across  these  rude  and  untutored  links,  until 
they  were  nearing  the  dreaded  Pinnacle. 

"Wait  till  ye  see  Gilmourat  the  Pinnacle,"  Peter  had  said, 
with  a  sly  wink,  to  Jess  Maclean.  "Jamie's  temper  can  stand 
anything  and  everything — except  the  Pinnacle." 

They  were  now  come  to  a  rising  slope  beyond  which  was  an 
unseen  hollow,  while  beyond  the  hollow  again  rose  a  consider- 
able height,  the  steep  face  of  which  was  scarred  across  by  little 
ridges  of  a  muddy  and  sloppy  nature.  The  temptation  here 
placed  before  the  ingenuous  player  is  to  try  to  get  over  this 
desperate  hazard  by  oue  daring  drive  from  the  tee — the  com- 
mon result  of  which  is  that  he  lands  in  the  intervening  valley, 
or  strikes  the  impossible  face  of  the  hill,  a  still  more  hopeless 
fate  ;  while  the  cunning  practitioner,  playing  a  half-stroke 
from  the  tec,  is  content  to  reach  the  top  of  the  hither  slope, 
from  which  he  has  a  better  chance  of  sending  his  ball  right 
on  to  the  summit  of  the  Pinnacle.  It  was  with  a  subdued 
smile  that  Peter  watched  the  station-master  make  his  prepa- 
rations. 

"Now  for  a  good  one,  Jamie,"  said  he,  with  diabolical  guile. 
"  The  Pinnacle's  always  making  a  fool  of  ye  !  Let's  sec  what 
you  can  do  now  !" 

But,  whether  by  accident  or  design,  the  station  -  master 
made  no  sort  of  display;  his  ball  landed  at  the  top  of  the 
near  slope,  lying  well  for  the  next  drive,  and  considerably 
dashing  the  councillor's  baleful  anticipations.  I'etcr  now 
played,  getting  i<>  about  the  same  place.  Then  came  <iil- 
mour's  opportunity  ;  and  with  a  very  excellent  "  swipe,"  that 
earned  the  generous  applause  of  the  spectators,  he  sent  his 


COUNCILLOR.    V.   STATION-MASTER  159 

ball  sailing  away  over  that  ugly  chasm  until  it  dropped  on  the 
opposite  crest :  at  last  he  had  conquered  the  Pinnacle  ! 

Now  of  course  Peter  could  do  no  better,  but  at  least  he 
might  do  as  well ;  and  so,  with  anxious  heart  but  resolute 
mien,  he  made  ready.  He  looked  at  the  horrid  cliff,  with 
its  steps  and  stairs  of  sloppy  herbage  ;  he  looked  at  the  tiny 
white  globe  before  him  ;  he  pursed  up  his  lips  firmly — he 
raised  his  club — he  struck  a  manful  stroke.  Alas  !  that  such 
things  should  be — the  ball  did  indeed  clear  the  chasm,  but  all 
too  unmistakably  did  it  alight  on  the  opposite  face  ;  it  hesi- 
tated for  a  moment ;  then  the  white  spot  was  seen  to  come 
hopping  slowly  and  quietly  into  the  valley  below.  It  was 
now  the  station-master's  turn  to  jeer,  and  jeer  he  did  —  in 
such  a  fashion  that  his  wife  had  angrily  and  shamefacedly  to 
protest. 

What  followed  is  almost  too  painful  for  narration ;  except 
in  this  way,  that  the  spectacle  of  a  man  wrestling  with  his 
agony  has  always  been  understood  to  arouse  woman's  sympa- 
thy ;  and  Jess  Maclean  was  looking  on.  No  matter  how  the 
councillor  fought  and  strove,  changing  the  trusted  niblick  for 
the  crafty  sand-iron,  or  intrusting  his  fortunes  to  the  useful 
cleek,  that  small  white  sphere,  with  a  remorseless  and  malig- 
nant pertinacity,  would  return  from  the  greatest  height  he 
could  reach,  sliding,  hopping,  rolling,  until  it  lay  contentedly 
in  front  of  him. 

"  Put  it  in  your  pocket,  Peter — put  the  ball  in  your  pocket, 
man !"  the  station-master  shouted  from  the  top  of  the  Pinna- 
cle— mercilessly  returning  the  taunts  that  had  so  often  been 
addressed  to  himself. 

And  this,  after  a  few  more  frantic  trials,  Peter  was  con- 
strained to  do,  for  by  this  time  the  evening  was  wearing  on  ; 
but  all  the  same  he  was  determined  to  conceal  his  bitter  mor- 
tification. Jess  must  see  that  in  the  most  tragic  circum- 
stances he  could  preserve  his  equanimity. 

"  Jamie,"  he  called,  "  come  away  down  out  o'  that,  man  ; 
it's  time  to  be  making  for  home.  The  afternoon's  yours  ; 
we'll  live  to  fight  another  day." 

So  the  Homeric  contest  was  ended,  and  the  shades  of  even- 
ing fell ;  but  the  overhead  sky  was  clearing  as  they  made  their 
way  to  the  sea-shore,  and  by  the  time  they  entered  the  woods 


160  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

skirting  the  coast  there  was  some  suggestion  of  moonlight 
wandering  down  through  the  black  stems,  and  causing  a  shad- 
ow here  and  there  on  the  aucient-worn  pathway.  When  they 
got  into  the  open  again  the  moon  was  found  to  be  high  in 
the  southeast  with  a  halo  of  pale  lemon-hue  around  it ;  there 
were  a  few  solitary  clouds  hanging  high,  that  still  had  a  lin- 
gering touch  of  saffron  about  them  ;  the  waters  down  the 
Sound  of  Kerrara  were  of  a  cold  metallic  gray.  The  coun- 
cillor was  in  great  form.  This  was  quite  a  picturesque  and 
romantic  ending  to  their  afternoon's  diversion.  In  the  woods 
he  had  lifted  up  his  voice  and  sang  ;  and  now,  fronting  the 
open  bay,  he  sang ;  and  the  burden  of  his  song,  shrill  as  it 
might  be,  was  the  praise  of  young  Jessie,  the  Flower  of  Dum- 
blane.  lie  might  just  as  well  have  said  Duntroone :  they  all 
knew. 

"  '  Is  lovely  young  Jessie, 
Is  lovely  young  Jessie, 
Is  lovely  young  Jessie,  the  Flower  of  Dumllane'1'" — 

thus  he  skirled  away,  with  many  gay  flourishes,  until  they 
were  nearing  the  town,  when  decorum  demanded  silence. 

And  of  course  the  first  thing  they  did  when  they  got  into 
Campbell  Street  was  to  go  and  report  themselves  to  the  wid- 
ow ;  and  the  first  person  they  saw — or  at  least  the  most  con- 
spicuous— when  they  entered  the  little  parlor,  was  Jack  Ogil- 
vie,  the  purser  of  the  Aros  Castle.  Barbara  seemed  to  waken 
out  of  a  dream. 


CHAPTER    XX 

AN     INTRUDER 

"  And  how  are  you  yourself,  Mr.  McFadyen  ?"  said  Ogilvie, 
when  he  had  paid  his  respects  to  the  two  girls,  and  resumed 
his  seat.  "  I'm  glad  to  see  by  the  newspaper  that  you  can 
hold  your  own  at  the  council — that  you're  not  afraid  of  the 
provost  himself." 

Now  there  was  a  kind  of  gay  assurance — a  happy-go-lucky 
fashion  of  making  himself  at  home — about  the  young  man 
that  the  councillor  keenly  resented ;  but  at  the  same  time  this 
compliment  to  his  courage  in  debate  somewhat  mollified  Peter. 

"  I'll  not  deny,"  said  he,  sententiously,  "  that  there  are  oc- 
casions when  it  is  one's  duty  to  stand  by  one's  opinions,  even 
at  the  risk  of  being  considered  quarrelsome.  When  a  man 
has  convictions  he  must  maintain  them.  And  I  have  never 
budged  from  my  position  that  with  regard  to  the  water  sup- 
ply, Loch-a-Voulin  is  the  only  and  proper  loch — " 

"  What  is  this  your  Gaelic  Choir  are  after  ?"  Jack  Ogilvie 
asked,  turning  lightly  to  Jess  Maclean. 

"  I  have  not  heard  of  anything,  then,"  she  answered. 

"  Oh,  they  are  meditating  great  doings,"  said  he.  "  It  ap- 
pears that  a  number  of  members  of  the  Glasgow  Choir  are 
coming  through  ;  and  your  choir  want  to  entertain  them — a 
concert  and  ball,  or  something  of  the  sort ;  and  they  have  al- 
ready asked  me  to  act  as  M.C.  Well,  I  was  not  quite  sure  to 
say  yes  or  no,  when  I  remembered  that  Miss  Barbara  had 
promised  me  a  dance  on  the  first  opportunity  of  the  kind, 
and  of  course  that  decided  me." 

Instantly  all  eyes  were  turned  to  Barbara,  with  surprised 
inquiry.  Where  had  Barbara  learned  to  dance  ?  And  how 
could  this  conversation  between  her  and  the  purser  have 
taken  place  ?  The  girl  herself,  showing  the  greatest  distress 
and  confusion,  was  silent. 


1C2  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"Aye,  and  where  did  }'ou  find  a  dancing -master  at 
Knockalanish  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Maclean,  smiling  good-naturedly 
enough. 

But  Barbara  seemed  to  consider  the  question  a  taunt. 

"There's  plenty  on  the  island  can  dance  very  well,"  said 
she,  "  and  the  one  can  show  the  other." 

So  the  mystery  remained  a  mystery ;  for  Jack  Ogilvie,  per- 
ceiving that  his  chance  remark  had  caused  some  trouble,  im- 
mediately came  to  her  rescue  and  turned  the  conversation 
into  another  channel.  Moreover,  he  could  talk  well.  Before 
securing  his  present  employment  he  had  made  many  voyages, 
and  seen  many  places  and  things ;  he  had  an  abundance  of 
amusing  experiences  ;  he  was  accustomed,  because  of  his  good 
looks  and  his  pleasant  manners,  to  be  made  much  of;  and  he 
chatted  away — to  Mrs.  Maclean,  to  Jess,  to  Barbara — freely 
and  cheerfully,  and  as  one  who  knew  he  was  welcome.  All 
this  but  increased  the  councillor's  profound  chagrin.  What 
right  had  this  intruder  to  come  into  the  sacred  circle?  There 
was  an  air  of  audacious  youth  about  him  that  was  in  itself 
offensive.  Then  Mr.  McFadyen,  who  was  accustomed  to 
boast  of  his  knowledge  of  the  world,  found  himself  driven 
into  a  narrow  and  cramped  little  provincial  corner  by  this  gay 
conversationalist  who  had  been  everywhere  and  had  seen 
everything.  What  was  the  use  of  vaunting  Ben-Nevis  and 
Ben-Cruachan  before  one  who  had  beheld  the  pale  snows  of 
Mount  Etna  towering  above  the  burned  and  torrid  slopes  of 
Sicily  ?  What  was  the  use  of  talking  about  the  government 
gunboat  just  come  into  the  bay  to  one  who  had  watched  a 
Mediterranean  squadron  steam  into  the  Pirseusl  The  hilly 
semicircle  of  Duntroone  looked  well  enough  as  one  came  sail- 
ing into  the  harbor ;  but  perhaps  it  was  hardly  so  impressive 
as  the  domes  and  minarets  and  gardens  of  Stamboul  seen 
from  across  the  waters  of  the  Golden  Horn.  And  though  Mr. 
Boyd's  cairngorms  were  no  doubt  very  line,  and  his  Bettings 
of  Iona  stones  ingenious  and  intricate,  they  could  not  well  lie 
compared  with  the  treasures  of  the  museums  which  this  young 
man  had  carelessly  visited  in  his  various  wanderings.  And 
the  WOrsI   of   it    was  that    he   had    DO  BWaggeT  about  hill).       lie 

had  no  need  of  Bwagger;  he  was  too  handsome,  loo  good- 
humored,   too    used    to    favoring   glances   ami    smiles.      And, 


AN     INTRUDER  163 

alas !  he  was  dowered  with  the  terrible  dower  of  youth,  that 
is  so  merciless  in  its  victories. 

But  if  the  councillor  fretted  and  fumed  in  his  provincial 
corner,  that  was  not  the  mood  in  which  Barbara  Maclean, 
who  had  entirely  recovered  from  her  momentary  confusion, 
sat  and  listened  to  all  this  easy,  brilliant  discursive  talk. 
Never  before  had  she  had  such  an  opportunity  of  studying 
Ogilvie's  appearance,  of  observing  all  those  elegances  and  re- 
finements and  perfections  that  in  her  eyes  appeared  to  sepa- 
rate him  from  the  rest  of  mankind.-  New  fascinations,  new 
attractions,  were  every  moment  being  revealed  to  her.  For 
example,  his  hair,  that  was  of  a  light  golden-brown,  with 
something  more  than  a  tendency  to  curl,  was  cut  particularly 
short  about  the  nape  of  the  neck ;  but,  short  as  it  was,  there 
was  no  suggestion  of  stubble  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  lay  about 
in  little  silken  waves  on  the  fair  and  sun-tanned  skin.  His 
laugh,  too,  was  honest  and  unaffected ;  it  seemed  to  be  the  ex- 
pression of  a  naturally  happy  temperament ;  life  appeared  to 
go  well  with  him.  And  of  course  Jack  Ogilvie,  whatever  he 
might  be  talking  or  laughing  about,  could  not  but  be  con- 
scious of  the  presence  of  an  extremely  pretty  girl,  who,  be- 
sides, paid  him  rapt  attention  ;  and  if  he  did  not  exactly  lay 
himself  out  to  captivate,  at  least  he  had  no  thought  of  hiding 
his  light  under  a  bushel.  The  councillor,  disappointed  and 
angry,  had  relapsed  into  a  sullen  silence. 

But  Mr.  McFadyen  had  his  innings  when  the  dazzling  sun- 
god  had  departed. 

"  There  is  nothing  I  despise  so  much,"  he  declared,  with 
emphasis,  "  as  a  flippant  young  man.  For  where  there  is 
flippancy  there  is  no  depth  ;  and  where  there  is  no  depth 
there  is  no  stabeelity ;  and  where  there  is  no  stabeelity  there 
can  be  nothing  to  look  forward  to  but  the  downward  road  to 
wreck  and  ruin.  The  creature  of  a  summer  day — a  fluff  of  a 
candle — a  butterfly  blown  by  the  wind !  I  appeal  to  you, 
Mrs.  Maclean,"  he  went  on,  earnestly,  "  What  would  hap- 
pen to  us  if  we  took  no  heed  of  the  serious  interests  of  life  ? 
Look  at  the  questions  that  press  close  on  us — look  at  the 
water  supply — look  at  vaccination — look  at  the  housing  of 
the  poor ;  did  ye  see  the  last  report  ?" 

"  Indeed  I  did,"  said  the  little  widow.     "  And  I  was  just 


1C4  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

shocked  to  see  the  rate  of  infant  immortality — it's  fearful  to 
think  of—" 

"  Did  not  I  say  so — did  not  I  say  so  ?"  he  exclaimed — as 
though  he  had  discovered  some  dark  connection  between 
Jack  Ogilvie  and  that  Herodian  slaughter.  "  If  we  do  not 
face  the  problems  of  existence,  we  perish  ;  it's  the  one  thing 
or  the  other ;  gallivanting  about  like  a  butterfly  will  not  do. 
The  world's  not  made  up  of  idleness  and  amusement — " 

At  this  point  Mr.  McFadyen  stopped.  It  may  have  oc- 
curred to  him  that  he  was  entirely  on  the  wrong  tack.  For 
had  he  not  consistently  been,  especially  before  these  young 
folk,  the  foremost  champion  of  all  sorts  of  gayeties  and 
sports  and  pastimes,  and  anxious  to  display  his  own  profi- 
ciency therein  ?  These  gloomy  preachments  did  not  be- 
come one  who  excelled  in  the  graceful  varsoviana,  who  sang 
"When  other  lips"  with  touching  pathos,  who  could  throw 
the  hammer  against  any  of  the  younger  men,  or  drive  a  ball 
from  the  Pinnacle  right  on  to  the  next  green.  Happily,  at 
this  moment,  Barbara  stepped  in  to  afford  him  the  means  of 
retrieving  his  error. 

"  If  the  Gaelic  Choir  are  to  have  dancing,"  said  she,  "  will 
it  be  in  the  Drill  Hall?" 

"  Ah,  there,  now,"  rejoined  the  councillor,  with  some  re- 
turn of  his  ordinary  buoyancy ;  "  there,  now,  will  be  a  fine 
evening;  and  no  doubt  it  will  be  in  the  Drill  Hall;  and  I 
should  not  wonder  if  the  Glasgow  Choir  gave  us  some  part- 
singing  before  the  dance.  Of  course,  it  may  be  presumptuous 
in  me  to  assume  that  I  am  to  be  invited — " 

"  They  could  not  do  without  ye,  Mr.  McFadyen  !"  cried  the 
widow. 

"  But  if  all  goes  well,"  continued  the  councillor,  modestly, 
"  I  hope  to  have  Miss  Jessie  and  her  cousin  under  my  escort, 
just  as  we  were  before." 

"  And  this  time,"  said  Barbara,  glancing  somewhat  ner- 
vously from  the  one  to  the  other,  "  this  time  will  we  wait  a 
little  while  fur  the  dancing?" 

"Oh  yes,  if  yuu  would  like,"  the  widow  responded,  with 
lnr  usual  magnanimity.  "I  will  trust  to  Mr.  McFadyen  to 
look  after  you  both  and  bring  you  safe  home."  Almost  im- 
mediately thereafter,  with  some  trifling  excuse,  Barbara  left 


AN    INTRUDER  165 

those  others  to  themselves ;  she  crossed  the  street,  went  up 
the  stair,  and  entered  the  house  ;  and  there  she  made  straight 
for  her  own  room,  and  for  the  two  drawers  in  which  lay  the 
odds  and  ends  of  millinery  she  had  managed  to  acquire  since 
the  occasion  of  Mrs.  McAskill's  ball. 

Apparently  the  handsome  young  purser  had  found  the 
hour  or  so  he  had  passed  in  Mrs.  Maclean's  parlor  pleasant 
enough  ;  for  he  got  into  the  way  of  looking  in  of  an  evening, 
especially  when  he  had  any  intelligence  to  convey  about  the 
visit  of  the  Glasgow  Choir ;  while  Barbara,  under  pretext  that 
she  wished  to  learn  how  to  become  useful  in  the  shop,  went 
regularly  over  at  the  close  of  each  day,  whoever  might  chance 
to  call.  On  the  other  hand,  Allan  Henderson  was  conspicu- 
ously absent ;  he  was  busy  about  the  starting  of  his  Latin 
class ;  and  he  was  keen  to  have  all  things  well  in  train  before 
bringing  his  budget  of  news  to  this  little  circle  of  friends. 
Perhaps,  if  success  were  assured,  or  even  seen  to  be  probable, 
Barbara  might  be  attracted  ?  Hitherto  she  had  shown  the 
scantiest  interest  in  his  doings ;  but  perchance  these  larger 
schemes  might  win  her  attention  ?  And  she  knew  what  was 
spurring  him  on — she  knew  what  hopes  he  had  formed;  it 
miffht  be  that  this  future  to  which  he  was  looking  she  would 
recognize  as  also  her  own. 

At  length  one  evening  the  school-master,  his  brain  a  chaos 
of  wild  anticipations,  went  along  to  the  tobacconist's  shop 
and  entered,  and  tapped  at  the  partly  opened  door  of  the 
parlor. 

"  Come  in,  Allan,"  the  widow  called  at  once. 

But  already  he  had  perceived  that  a  stranger  was  there — 
a  stranger  in  one  sense,  though  of  course  every  one  in  Dun- 
troone  knew  by  sight  the  purser  of  the  Aros  Castle. 

"  Where  have  you  been  all  this  while  ?"  continued  Mrs. 
Maclean,  cheerfully.  "  We  were  thinking  of  sending  round 
the  bellman  to  find  you  out.  And  surely  you  know  Mr. 
Ogilvie  ?" 

The  two  young  men  nodded — the  one  lightly  and  care- 
lessly, the  other  stiffly  enough. 

"  And  is  the  rain  off  yet  ?"  she  asked  again — for  there  was 
an  awkward  pause. 

Allan  made  some  kind  of  answer.     Already  his  mind  was 


•166  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

filled  with  vague  misgivings.  This  stranger  appeared  to  be 
but  little  of  a  stranger;  be  seemed  to  be  on  the  most  friendly 
and  familiar  terms  with  everybody  ;  he  had  installed  him- 
self and  made  himself  at  home  in  a  surprisingly  short  time. 
And  what  now  happened,  simple  as  the  incident  was,  only 
served  to  increase  the  school  -  master's  nebulous  apprehen- 
sions. 

"  Oh,  was  it  raining  when  you  came  in  ?"  Barbara  said,  in 
a  very  amiable  way,  to  Ogilvie.  Therewith  she  crossed  over 
to  the  peg  on  which  he  had  hung  his  cap,  and  she  took 
down  the  cap  and  examined  it.  "  Yes,  indeed,"  said  she. 
"  And  how  careless  you  are  !"  With  that  she  went  and  got 
a  cloth  ;  she  Drought  the  cap  along  to  the  gasalicr ;  and  very 
carefully  she  polished  the  two  brass  buttons  and  the  narrow 
band  of  glazed  leather.  It  was  a  good-natured  little  action, 
perhaps  of  no  import;  but  in  the  eyes  of  Allan  Henderson 
this  betrayal  of  sympathetic  interest,  on  the  part  of  one  ordi- 
narily so  reserved  and  indifferent,  was  of  startling  significance. 
As  for  Ogilvie,  he  only  laughed. 

"  In  my  trade,"  said  he,  "  we  don't  mind  a  few  drops  of 
water,  whether  salt  or  fresh." 

"  But  when  you  are  on  shore,  you  should  do  as  shore-folk 
do,"  she  said  ;  and  thereupon  she  went  and  returned  the  cap 
to  its  peg.  Henderson  remembered  afterwards  that  he  had 
never  seen  her  figure  look  so  bewitchingly  graceful  as  when 
she  was  holding  the  brass  buttons  up  to  the  gaslight,  the 
better  to  polish  them  and  the  glazed  leather  band. 

No,  it  was  not  Jack  Ogilvie,  purser  of  the  Aros  Castle, 
who  was  (he  stranger;  it  was  he,  Allan  Henderson,  who 
found  himself,  or  imagined  himself  to  be,  a  stranger.  He  felt 
himself  isolated  and  companionless  ;  his  poor  little  budget 
of  news,  so  all-important  to  himself,  neither  asked  for  nor 
thought  of;  all  the  talk  was  of  the  festivities  in  connection 
with  the  forthcoming  visit  of  the  Glasgow  Choir.  Jess,  it  is 
true,  would  occasionally  try  to  say  a  word  or  two  to  him,  or 
would  proffer  him  the  matches,  or  the  like  ;  hut  he  was  proud 
and   hurt  ;    it  was    in    stern  silence  that  he  listened  to  all  this 

babblement  about  dancing  and  partners  and  dress.  _  Strangest 
thing  of  all,  it  was  Barbara —  Barbara  the  apathetic  and  mo- 
rose— who  was  now  most  animated;  her  liquid  dark-blue  eyes 


AN     INTRUDER  167 

were  full  of  life,  her  parted  lips  smiling,  a  pleased  and  eager 
interest  giving  a  fresh  bloom  to  her  complexion. 

"  I  am  sure  the  waltz  country-dance  is  as  pretty  as  any," 
she  was  saying. 

"  Yes,  when  you  have  plenty  of  good  waltzers,"  Ogilvie 
interposed,  with  a  laugh. 

"  And  the  figure  is  so  simple,"  she  continued,  addressing 
him  alone ;  "  there  is  no  difficulty  in  trying  to  remember. 
But  the  figures  of  the  quadrille — and  worse  still,  the  figures 
of  the  lancers — well,  who  can  remember  them  ?" 

"  Who  ?"  he  repeated,  gayly.  "  Why,  your  partner,  to  be 
sure  !  That's  his  business.  You  should  be  taken  through  a 
quadrille  without  a  moment's  trouble ;  it's  for  your  partner 
to  tell  you  what  is  coming  next.  That  is  the  good-fortune  of 
being  a  young  lady  —  everything  is  done  for  you — you  have 
no  bother.  But  I'm  afraid  that  what  is  considered  the  best 
use  of  a  dance  in  the  great  houses  in  London  would  not  be 
practicable  at  the  Drill  Hall.  A  couple  of  partners  wouldn't 
find  it  easy  to  'sit  out'  and  have  a  confidential  chat  by  them- 
selves—  unless  they  went  down  the  steps  into  the  lane,  and 
that  would  be  awkward,  among  the  mud,  with  perhaps  an  ar- 
riving carriage  or  two — " 

"  But  surely  Mr.  McFadyen  will  see  that  everything  is  done 
in  a  proper  way,"  observed  Mrs.  Maclean,  not  quite  under- 
standing the  point.  "  It  would  be  a  great  pity  if  the  young 
people  were  not  allowed  to  enjoy  themselves  —  it's  not  so 
many  chances  they  have  in  the  course  of  the  year." 

"  Oh  yes,  you  may  trust  the  councillor,"  said  Ogilvie, 
lightly.  "  All  the  financial  questions  have  been  confided  to 
him,  and  the  refreshment  department  as  well ;  though  there 
will  be  nothing  so  grand  as  what  the  McAskills  gave,  for  a 
hotel -keeper  has  a  lot  of  servants,  and  knows  how  to  do 
things." 

"I  am  sure  no  one  will  be  busier  than  yourself,  Mr.  Ogil- 
vie," said  Barbara,  with  approving  eyes.  "  For  I  remember 
at  the  other  dance  you  were  looking  after  every  one — " 

"  Busy  ?"  said  he.  "  But  not  too  busy  to  remember  prom- 
ises ;  and  you've  promised  me  a  dance,  Miss  Barbara,  and 
maybe  we'll  make  it  into  two  or  three.  McFadyen  is  a  des- 
perate man  for  the  dancing ;  he'll  be  glad  enough  to  stay  on ; 


168  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

and  you  hurried  away  far  too  soon  last  time.  This  time  we 
must  treat  you  better;  and  you'll  not  be  flying  off  just  when 
the  fun  is  going  to  begin." 

"And  you,  now,  Allan,  my  lad,"  put  in  the  widow,  with 
the  most  kindly  intention,  "  are  you  not  thinking  of  going 
with  them?  The  life  of  a  young  man  should  not  be  altogether 
made  up  of  books  and  classes." 

The  black  look  on  Allan's  face  was  blended  now  with  an 
active  displeasure. 

"  No,  no,"  said  he,  impatiently.  "  Let  them  that  can  enjoy 
such  amusements  do  so,  and  welcome ;  there's  no  blame  to 
them.     But  other  folks  have  other  ways — that  is  all" 

And  thereupon  he  rose  from  his  seat  to  take  his  leave.  The 
Avidow  urged  him  to  remain,  but  he  refused,  with  stiff  cour- 
tesy.    Jess  alone  followed  him  into  the  front  shop. 

"What  is  it  that  has  vexed  you,  Allan?"  she  asked,  with 
direct  frankness. 

"  There  are  some  things  in  human  nature  that  I  do  not 
understand  yet,"  he  replied,  and  that  dark  and  absent  look  on 
his  face  was  as  sombre  as  ever.  "  And  perhaps  I  shall  never 
be  able  to  understand  them.     Good-night,  Jessie  !" 

He  held  out  his  hand  for  a  moment,  and  she  pressed  it.  As 
he  left,  her  gentle  gray  eyes  followed  him,  and  there  was  more 
than  sympathetic  concern  in  them.  She  did  not  at  once  re- 
turn to  the  parlor. 

Outside,  the  rain  was  still  falling  heavily,  and  there  was  a 
cold  wind  blowing  in  from  the  sea.  The  school-master  was 
grateful  for  this  stinging  Avct  that  struck  about  his  ears  ;  it 
seemed  to  bewilder  him  in  some  kind  of  way,  and  to  repress 
and  chill  down  the  hot  turmoil  of  his  brain. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

A    RAID    ON    THE    SANCTUARY 

A  brooding  twilight  lay  over  the  hills  and  the  lonely 
corries  as  two  men — the  one  of  them  being  Lauchlan  the 
shoemaker,  the  other  his  cousin  Colin,  a  keeper  from  Loch- 
Awe  side  —  made  their  way  along  the  shores  of  a  solitary 
and  voiceless  sea-loch.  The  keeper  was  a  short  person,  of  ex- 
traordinary breadth  of  shoulder  and  muscular  development 
about  the  legs ;  he  looked,  indeed,  like  a  compressed  giant ; 
and  he  walked  with  the  long  swinging  stride  of  one  used  to 
the  heather.  Both  men  spoke  in  undertones,  though  that 
seemed  unnecessary  enough  in  this  silent  and  trackless  soli- 
tude. 

"  It  is  I,"  said  Lauchlan,  gloomily,  in  Gaelic,  "  that  am  not 
liking  this  affair." 

"With  your  leave,  then,"  rejoined  his  companion,  in  the 
same  tongue,  "  you  are  a  fool.  Why,  the  doings  of  this 
night  will  be  talked  of  throughout  the  West  Highlands  for 
years  and  years  to  come  !  And  you  yourself,  Lauchlan,"  he 
went  on,  with  a  grim  jocosity — "  you  yourself  will  be  made 
famous  if  names  should  leak  out.  As  Lauchlan  the  shoe- 
maker you  could  never  become  famous;  but  as  one  that 
helped  to  drive  the  deer  out  of  the  Creannoch  Sanctuary, 
you  will  become  famous.  The  poets  will  sing  of  you, 
Lauchlan — " 

Lauchlan  was  peevish.  He  expressed  an  opinion  about 
poets  in  general,  and  a  wish  as  to  their  future  fate  that  be- 
trayed his  ill-temper. 

"  There  was  one  of  them,"  he  continued,  "  living  in  Dun- 
troone ;  and  for  two  years  I  was  mending  boots  and  shoes 
for  him ;  and  he  went  away,  and  never  a  penny  of  his  money 
was  I  seeing  before  or  since.  And  if  any  names  leak  out,  as 
you  say,  it  will  more  likely  put  us  into  jail  than  anything 


lVO  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

else.  That  will  be  a  fine  thing,  to  be  in  jail !"  He  turned 
his  head,  as  if  suddenly  remembering.  "  Is  there  a  drop  in 
the  bottle,  Colin  ?" 

"  Indeed  there  is,"  said  the  keeper,  pausing  for  a  moment. 
"  But  there's  more  than  a  drop  or  two  drops  where  we  are 
going.  Oh,  I  tell  you,  Lord  Esme  is  the  boy  !  He  is  the 
boy  !  If  there's  any  devilment  in  the  country,  he  must  be 
at  it ;  and  fearing  for  nothing ;  the  lion's  heart  the  young 
man  has  got,  and  no  mistake.  Was  I  telling  you  what  hap- 
pened last  year  on  the  Strin,  when  the  water  was  too  low 
for  the  fishing  ?"  continued  the  keeper,  as  they  resumed  their 
progress.  "  Well,  now,  if  there's  any  kind  of  poaching  that 
is  not  known  to  Lord  Esme  Carruthers,  then  I  am  not  aware 
of  it.  And  a  fine  trick  he  has  if  the  pools  are  low,  and  the 
salmon  are  hiding,  and  you  cannot  see  them  so  as  to  drop 
the  snatching-hooks  over  them ;  for  he  will  bring  a  spaniel 
with  him,  and  he  will  put  the  spaniel  into  the  water,  and 
fling  stones  here  and  there,  with  the  spaniel  swimming  after 
them,  and  crossing  every  inch  of  the  pool ;  and  do  you  not 
think  a  salmon  will  imagine  it  is  the  devil  overhead  when  he 
sees  the  four  paws  of  a  spaniel  going  like  the  paddles  of  a 
steamer? — he  will  be  very  glad  to  make  a  move  of  it — " 

"  I  will  take  a  little  drop  more,  Colin  ;  I  am  not  used  to 
such  long  travelling  as  you." 

Again  they  halted,  and  again  they  resumed  —  each  con- 
tentedly wiping  his  mouth  with  his  coat  sleeve. 

"  Very  well,  then ;  at  the  time  I  am  telling  you  of,  we 
managed  at  length  to  get  sight  of  a  salmon,  and  Lord  Esme 
he  put  the  line  over  him,  and  struck,  and  sure  enough  we  had 
him  fast.  'Here,  Colin,'  says  his  lordship,  'you  play  this 
fish,  and  I'll  gaff  him  for  you;'  for  he  never  cares  about 
playing  a  fish,  whether  he  has  hooked  him  by  fair  means  or 
any  means.  Then  he  takes  the  gaff  down  to  the  water's 
edge;  and  I  was  standing  over  him — with  no  great  strain  on 
the  fish  either;  when,  by  the  holy  piper,  away  comes  the  line 
into  the  air;  and  the  first  thing  I  saw  was  that  the  triangle 
had  struck  his  lordship  in  the  face.  And  maybe  you  do  not 
know  what,  a  triangle  is,  Laurhlan  ;  hut  it  is  three  hooks,  each 
as  long  as  your  finger,  and  they  are  hound  back  to  back  with 
B  hand  of  iron  ;   and  what  do  you  think,  now — one  of  the 


A    RAID    ON    THE    SANCTUARY  171 

hooks  had  gone  right  into  Lord  Esme's  cheek.  If  it  had 
been  an  ordinary  salmon-fly,  I  could  have  stripped  the  dress- 
ing off,  and  pushed  the  barb  through,  and  got  the  hook  out 
that  way  ;  but,  bless  me,  there  were  the  other  two  hooks,  and 
I  could  not  break  them  off  or  do  anything  with  them.  '  Your 
lordship,'  says  I,  '  you  will  have  to  go  into  Inverness,  to  get  a 
doctor  to  cut  it  out.'  '  You  scoundrel,'  says  he — but  speak- 
ing was  not  easy  for  him,  the  poor  young  man — '  do  you 
want  me  to  advertise  myself  as  a  poacher  all  over  the  country, 
and  me  known  to  every  station-master  on  the  Highland  Line  ? 
Take  your  knife  in  your  hand,  now,  and  dig  this  thing  out !' 
And  with  that  he  lay  down,  and  put  his  head  on  the  heather. 
Lauchlan,  my  son,  it  was  a  terrible  job.  More  than  once  have 
I  had  to  cut  a  hook  out  of  my  own  finger;  but  it  was  nothing 
at  all  to  that  job.  And  did  he  utter  a  word  or  a  groan  all 
the  time  ? — not  one  ! — not  a  movement  of  a  muscle  !  and 
my  handkerchief  and  his  handkerchief  smothered.  And,  do 
you  know  what  he  says  when  he  is  on  his  feet  again,  and  I 
have  the  triangle  out  ?  '  Well,  Colin,'  he  says,  and  he  was 
laughing,  '  I  do  not  think  it  is  on  this  side  of  my  head  I  will 
sleep  to-night !'  Was  not  that  a  hero,  now  ?  I  tell  you,  Lord 
Esme  is  the  boy  !  —  he's  the  boy  for  any  devilment  that's 
going !" 

"Aye,  and  are  you  sure  he  will  be  here  this  night?"  asked 
Lauchie — whose  undertones  had  sunk  almost  to  a  whisper, 
for  the  darkness  was  coming  on,  and  they  were  in  a  lonely 
neighborhood. 

"  Sure  I  am  of  that,"  his  friend  answered,  "  if  Niall  Gorach 
can  find  out  the  Black  Bothy  in  Glen  Etherick ;  and  there 
are  few  things  about  this  district  unknown  to  the  half-witted 
lad.  'Colin,  my  old  friend,'  says  his  lordship  to  me — and 
if  there's  any  one  can  speak  better  Gaelic  than  Lord  Esme,  I 
am  not  acquainted  with  him — '  Colin,'  says  he,  '  maybe  that 
is  a  foolish  tale  of  Niall  Gorach  about  the  white  stag  in 
Creannoch ;  but  anyway  you  must  get  a  few  of  your  friends 
that  you  can  trust,  and  we  will  go  into  the  forest,  and  we 
will  drive  out  every  living  head  of  deer  that's  in  the  Sanctu- 
ary, and  scatter  them  far  and  wide  ;  and  if  there  is  any  white 
stag  there,  he  will  soon  be  seen  wandering  about  by  some- 
body.' " 


172*  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"Aye — when  we  are  in  jail,"  murmured  Lauchie,  in  sombre 
tones. 

"  I  do  not  care,"  said  the  telescoped  giant,  defiantly.  "  If 
his  lordship  came  to  ma  and  said, '  Colin,  we  will  go  now  and 
knock  at  the  door  of  the  Bad  Place,  and  see  what  they  will 
do  to  us,'  it's  I  that  would  be  answering  him,  '  Very  well, 
your  lordship ;  where  you  go  I  will  be  at  your  side.'  And 
maybe  they  would  be  quite  civil  to  him,  after  all ;  for  there's 
no  one  can  withstand  Lord  Esme  when  he  wishes  to  be  merry 
and  friendly  ;  every  one  knows  that." 

By  this  time  they  had  got  well  away  from  the  sea-loch, 
and  were  gradually  ascending  into  a  wild  upland  region  that 
looked  dreary  enough  in  the  gathering  dark.  An  absolute 
silence  prevailed  in  these  mountain  solitudes,  save  for  the 
trickling  of  some  unseen  burn ;  and  Lauchlan,  laboriously 
toiling  after  his  guide,  was  not  disposed  to  waste  his  breath 
in  speech.     But  at  last  he  said,  discontentedly  : 

"Was  there  no  easier  way  of  getting  to  Glen  Etherick  than 
this  way  ?" 

"There  are  many  ways  of  getting  to  Glen  Etherick,  as  is 
well  known,"  responded  Colin,  with  quiet  dignity.  "  But 
when  you  will  be  planning  an  expedition  of  this  kind,  it  must 
be  done  with  judgment ;  and  if  all  of  us  had  gone  together  to 
the  Black  Bothy,*  do  you  not  think  that  every  keeper  within 
ten  miles  of  the  Creannoch  Forest  would  have  become  aware 
of  it?  No,  no,  Lauchlan,  my  son;  that  is  not  the  way  we 
manage;  for  one  will  come  from  here,  ami  another  from  there  ; 
and  the  Black  Bothy  has  been  chosen  as  a  tryst  ing-phice,  so 
that  a  small  keg  or  two  of  whiskey  could  be  sent  on  before- 
hand. For  I  tell  you  that  Lord  Esme  is  the  boy — aye,  that 
indeed ;  and  any  one  that  docs  him  a  service  —  well,  he  will 
not  die  of  thirst." 

"It  is  I  that  am  wishing  we  were  there,"  responded 
Lauchie,  with  a  heartfelt  sigh,  as  he  plunged  and  stumbled 
and  fought  his  way  along  through  rucks  and  heather. 

After  protracted  and  weary  toil  they  at  length  began  to 
descend  from  these  solitary  heights,  eventually  getting  into 
a  deep  and  narrow  ravine,  the  sides  of  which  were  lined  with 

*  Black  IJotliy— an  illicit  still. 


A    RAID    ON    THE    SANCTUARV  173 

birch-trees  that  made  their  progress  more  and  more  difficult. 
And  the  darkness  had  grown  profound. 

"  I  am  thinking  this  is  the  right  corrie,"  said  the  keeper, 
"  but  I  am  not  sure.  And  maybe  we  will  have  to  wait  till  the 
moon  rises — " 

At  this  moment  he  uttered  a  brief  exclamation,  and  invol- 
untarily stopped  short.  For  a  human  figure  had  suddenly  be- 
come visible,  peering  from  among  the  birch-trees.  Then  he 
recognized  who  this  was. 

"  Son  of  the  devil,"  he  growled,  angrily,  "  what  do  you 
mean  by  haunting  the  woods  like  a  wild-cat?  Well,  where  is 
the  Black  Bothy,  then?" 

"  It  is  lower  down,"  answered  Niall  Gorach  ;  but  he  did  not 
wait  for  any  more  questions ;  he  vanished  into  the  gloom 
again,  not  even  the  crackling  of  a  twig  betraying  his  where- 
abouts. 

However,  even  without  Niall  Gorach's  guidance,  the  keeper 
and  his  companion  experienced  but  little  trouble  in  discover- 
ing the  appointed  rendezvous  ;  for  when  they  had  still  farther 
descended  the  chasm,  a  muffled  sound  of  voices  proved  to  be 
a  sufficient  clew  ;  and  after  crossing  the  waters  of  a  small 
stream,  they  made  their  way  to  the  entrance  of  the  disman- 
tled still.  Indeed,  the  half-dozen  or  so  of  shepherds,  gillies, 
and  the  like,  who  had  taken  possession  of  the  Bothy,  did  not 
appear  to  have  aimed  at  much  concealment ;  they  had  lit  a  fire 
of  chips  and  branches  in  the  middle  of  the  floor  ;  two  or  three 
candles,  stuck  in  black  bottles,  also  helped  to  light  up  the 
spacious  cavern;  while  the  hilarious  talking  and  laughing  go- 
ing on  was  quite  unrestrained.  Beyond  the  red  glare  of  the 
fire,  and  seated  on  a  log  of  wood,  was  a  young  man  who  was 
clearly  king  of  the  company  :  a  handsome  young  fellow,  with 
a  devil-may-care  air  about  him,  and  a  merry  twinkle  in  his 
eye.  He  alone  of  the  group  had  neither  cup  nor  glass  by 
him  ;  he  hardly  even  cared  to  keep  his  pipe  alit,  as  he  lis- 
tened, with  evident  diversion,  to  the  clamorous  argument  go- 
ing forward,  in  which  gibes  and  jests  and  sarcasms  were  be- 
ing freely  exchanged. 

"  Welcome  to  the  hearth  !"  he  called  out,  in  excellent  Gae- 
lic, when  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  two  dusky  figures  at  the 
door.     "  Come  away  in,  Colin,  and  you,  Lauchlan,  and  make 


174  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

yourselves  art  home ;  for  we  will  not  start  till  the  moon  is  up. 
And  pass  the  keg  now,  lads ;  Colin,  a  seat  on  the  floor  is  bet- 
ter than  no  seat ;  and  when  you  have  been  in  the  night  air, 
John  Barleycorn  is  a  good  friend." 

"  I  am  drinking,"  rejoined  the  keeper,  slowly  and  formally, 
as  he  filled  his  leathern  cup  —  "I  am  drinking  to  your  lord- 
ship, and  to  the  finding  of  the  white  stag." 

The  young  man  burst  out  laughing. 

"  We  will  say  nothing  about  the  white  stag,"  said  he,  "  for 
fear  the  half-witted  lad  may  have  been  making  fools  of  us. 
But  this  I  know,  that  it  will  be  a  fine  thing  to  send  the 
Creannoch  deer  on  their  travels.  People  who  go  on  their 
travels  see  many  wonders;  and  it  is  not  good  to  have  either 
deer  or  men  shut  up  in  a  sanctuary  ;  we  will  give  the  Crean- 
noch stags  an  opportunity  of  beholding  the  world.  But  in 
the  meantime,  lads  of  my  heart,  send  round  that  keg ;  and  I 
will  give  you  another  toast — 'The  land  of  hills  and  glens  and 
heroes !'  " 

He  himself  did  not  drink ;  but  the  others  did,  with  a  will ; 
they  were  all  talking  vociferously  and  laughing  and  arguing ; 
they  had  been  well  primed  for  this  enterprise. 

"  And  now  for  a  song !"  his  young  lordship  called  aloud, 
to  still  the  tumult.  "  The  sons  of  the  Gael  must  have  their 
bard  with  them.  Who  is  it,  Colin — is  it  your  friend  of  the 
shoes?" 

"Yes,  yes,  indeed!"  they  all  of  them  cried  —  rejoiced  to 
find  a  scape-goat. 

And  Lauchlan,  staring  with  bemused  eyes  into  the  red- 
flickering  flames,  had  no  thought  of  declining  the  honor.  As 
soon  as  he  comprehended  that  a  song  was  required  of  him, 
he  began.  It  was  a  mournful  song ;  and  in  slow  and  melan- 
choly tones  he  sang,  his  gaze  absently  fixed  on  the  glowing 
embers — 

'"  The  wind  it  fair,  the  <!<i;/  is  fine, 
Swiftly,  swiftly  runs  the  time  ; 
'I'll,  boat  if  floating  mi  tin  tide 

That  wafts  me  off  from  Fiunary.'1" 

Then  all  of  them  caught  at  the  chorus — for  there  is  no  strain 


A    RAID    ON    THE    SANCTUARY  175 

in  all  the  West  Highlands  so  well  known  as  the  "  Farewell  to 
Fiu nary  " — 

Ui  Eirich  affics  tiugainn  0, 
Eirich  agus  tiugainn  0, 
Eirich  agus  tiugainn   0, 

Mo  shoraidh  slan  le  Fionn-Airidh  P " 

Lauchlan  was  near  crying  through  this  universal  sympathy ; 
and  it  was  with  a  still  more  plaintive  pathos  that  he  pro- 
ceeded— 

"4^1  thousand  thousand  tender  ties 
Accept  this  dag  mg  plaintive  sighs  ; 
My  heart  within  me  almost  dies 

At  thought  of  leaving  Fiunary?  " 

And  again  the  hoarse  wail  of  the  chorus  rewarded  him — 

"  '  Eirich  agus  tiugainn  O, 
Eirich  agus  tiugainn  0, 
Eirich  agus  tiugainn   0, 

Mo  shoraidh  slan  le  Fionn-Airidh  P  " 

But  there  was  a  young  gillie  present  who  was  either  drunk 
or  envious  or  jocular,  or  perhaps  all  three  combined ;  for  he 
interposed  spitefully, 

"  That  is  very  well  sung  for  a  wintering  sheep." 
Now  Lauchlan  Maclntyre,  as  every  one  knew,  was  a  native 
of  Lismore  ;  and  Lismore  is  an  island  to  which  sheep  from 
the  higher  districts  are  sent  for  the  winter;  and,  for  some 
occult  reason  or  another,  the  most  deadly  insult  that  can  be 
paid  to  a  Lismore  man  is  to  say  "  Meh-h-h "  to  him,  or  to 
ask  him  the  question,  "  How  are  you  now,  you  wintering 
sheep  ?"  In  the  present  case,  when  it  dawned  upon  Lauchie's 
understanding  that  this  atrocious  epithet  had  been  bestowed 
on  him,  he  ceased  his  song.  He  regarded  the  facetious  young 
gillie.  He  looked  around.  There  was  no  weapon  of  any 
kind  at  hand.  But  with  a  sudden  inspiration  he  whipped 
off  one  of  his  heavy  -  nailed  shoes ;  he  poised  it  only  for  an 
instant ;  he  hurled  it  across  the  fire  at  the  face  of  his  enemy. 
Nor  had  the  jocose  young  gillie  been  expecting  any  such 
attack ;  he  had  no  time  to  ward  off  the  blow ;  his  nose  re- 
ceived the  missile  ;  and  before  he  could  stagger  up  to  his  feet 


176  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

he  was  a  sad  spectacle.  And  in  fact  he  was  not  allowed  to 
get  to  his  feet ;  they  pinned  him  down  ;  and  by  the  time 
they  had  threatened  and  expostulated  and  curbed  the  raging 
wild  beast  within  him,  the  signal  had  come  for  them  to 
start,  Niall  Gorach  having  appeared  at  the  Bothy  with  the 
announcement  that  the  moon  was  over  the  hill. 

And  very  soon,  after  leaving  the  secret  haunt  that  the 
gaugers  had  discovered  and  harried,  they  entered  upon  a 
much  more  desolate  country  than  any  they  had  come  through. 
A  ghostly  country,  moreover ;  for  now  the  moon  was  up  ; 
and  a  pale  and  spectral  light  shone  along  the  treeless  wastes, 
and  showed  peak  after  peak  of  mountains  receding  into  the 
wan  and  cloudless  skies.  Of  course  there  were  shadowy 
hollows  here  and  there;  and  it  was  along  by  thorn,  for  the 
most  part,  that  they  stealthily  made  their  way  ;  but  on  the 
whole  their  progress  was  steadily  upward,  into  far-reaching 
and  sterile  altitudes  that  were  plunged  in  profonndest  silence. 

"  Now,  you  will  remember,  Lauchie,"  said  Colin  the  keep- 
er— whose  gait  was  a  little  uncertain,  though  he  managed  to 
get  over  the  ground  —  "you  will  remember,  when  you  are 
left  by  yourself,  not  to  be  too  eager.  It  will  be  enough  if 
the  deer  get  our  wind ;  and  maybe  they  will  pass  out  by  his 
lordship  —  though  I  am  not  believing  much  in  the  white 
stag;  anyway,  the  driving  of  the  Sanctuary  will  be  a  noble 
frolic—" 

"  Aw,  Dyeea,"  said  Lauchie,  who  was  giggling  and  chuck- 
ling to  himself,  "  the  liechabites  arc  the  clever  boys;  but  the 
Rechabites  have  many  things  to  learn  ;  it  is  little  they  know 
of  a  sport  like  this.  There  is  no  sport  in  the  drinking  of 
water ;  and  that  is  the  truth  I  am  telling  you,  Colin,  my  hero. 

What  is  the  use  of  water — and  be  to  it !     Lord  Esme  is 

the  lad  !     CoHd,  lend  me  your  cup." 

For  <>n  leaving  the  Bothy  the  black  bottles  that  had  served 
as  candlesticks  had  been  filled  from  the  kegs;  and  Lauchie 
ha>l  become  possessed  of  one  of  them  ;  so  that  lie  was  now 
enabled  to  give  his  friend  and  companion  a  stalwart:  dram. 
In  return  Colin  would  have  repeated  his  instructions  about 
the  driving  of  the  Sanctuary;  but  his  speech  was  rather 
thick  ami  involved  ;  while  Lauchlan  was  far  too  happy  to  pay 
any  heed  to  him.      Lmehlan  was  singing  little  songs  to  him- 


A    RAID    ON    THE    SANCTUARY  177 

self,  and  laughing  and  making  merry  at  the  expense  of  the 
Rechabites.  He  had  no  quarrel  with  any  deer ;  he  had  no 
concern  about  any  white  stag ;  the  two  moons  that  lit  up 
this  ghostly  world  shed  a  gentle  and  friendly  radiance 
around ;  and  the  black  bottle  sticking  out  of  his  breast- 
pocket comforted  his  heart  with  pleasurable  anticipations. 

"  Aw,  Dyeea,  the  Rechabites  are  the  clever  boys,"  he  kept 
repeating  to  himself,  with  unholy  glee,  "  and  it  is  I  that 
would  like  to  see  the  whole  of  the  Tent  No.  3182  here  at  this 
moment,  and  every  man  of  them  with  a  black  bottle  in  his 
hand.  That  would  be  a  new  kind  of  dance  for  them — the 
clever  boys  that  they  are  !" 

By  this  time  the  marauders  were  well  within  the  Crean- 
noch  Forest,  and  approaching  the  Sanctuary — a  vast  hollow 
formed  by  the  concave  sides  of  two  adjoining  mountains  ; 
and  it  was  at  this  point  that  the  straggling  little  band  began 
to  separate.  Here,  also,  Long  Lauchie  received  his  orders. 
He  was  not  to  stir  from  his  post  for  at  least  an  hour ;  then 
he  was  to  go  gently  and  slowly  in  the  direction  of  the  Sanct- 
uary, down  wind.  There  was  to  be  no  calling  or  signalling 
of  any  kind  ;  indeed,  the  probability  was  that  he  would  not 
again  see  any  of  his  companions  until  he  might  chance  to 
meet  them  in  Duntroone.  His  own  way  back  thither  was 
left  to  his  own  discretion. 

And  so  Lauchlan  sat  down  on  the  heather,  and  let  the 
others  go ;  and  erelong  he  was  quite  alone  in  this  phantom 
world  of  rock  and  peak  and  gray  moonlight.  He  did  not 
listen  anxiously  for  the  swift  patter  of  hoofs,  nor  watch  for 
the  startled  upraising  of  an  antlered  head ;  he  was  content 
with  himself  and  his  own  company  ;  he  was  carefully  nursing 
the  black  bottle  ;  he  was  crooning  to  himself  the  "  Leis  an 
Lurgainn  " — 

"  '  May  looming,  o  hee, 

In  the  gloaming,  o  ho, 
Oar  ship's  compass  set  we, 
And  our  lights  we  did  show  ;' " 

the  two  or  three  moons  over  there  in  the  south,  as  they 
looked  down  upon  him,  were  of  a  friendly  aspect ;  and  his 
heart,  jogging  on  warmly  and  equably,  was  at  peace  with  all 
mankind. 

8* 


178  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

When  Lauchlan  Mac  In  tyre  awoke  the  dawn  was  declar- 
ing itself,  and  he  looked  around  with  dazed  eyes  wondering. 
For  this  world  in  which  he  found  himself  was  in  no  wise  or 
seeming  the  world  with  which  he  was  familiar  ;  he  recog- 
nized no  feature  of  it,  nor  the  conditions  of  it.  Had  he 
been  translated,  then  ?  Was  this  the  new  heaven  and  the 
new  earth  of  which  he  had  vaguely  heard  in  slumberous  dis- 
courses ?  But  there  was  no  living  creature  visible;  there 
was  the  strangest  silence ;  and  a  thin  rain,  almost  impercep- 
tible in  its  fineness,  had  become  glorified  by  the  early  sun- 
light, and  hung  between  him  and  the  east  as  if  it  were  some 
magic  silver  veil,  hiding  him  from  the  knowledge  of  mortals. 
And  there  wrere  other  perplexing  things.  If  he  had  been 
spirited  away  into  fairy-land,  what  had  become  of  his  shoe  ? 
One  foot  had  shoe  and  stocking;  the  other  its  stocking  only; 
and  a  continuous  hot  throb  seemed  to  say  that  in  his  un- 
known passage  from  the  inhabited  regions  of  the  universe 
his  toes  must  have  seriously  encountered  stones.  And  the 
black  bottle — alas !  it  was  empty — the  black  bottle  appeared 
to  be  connected  with  transactions  which  he  could  not  in  the 
least  remember.  Then  he  looked  round  once  more  —  this 
poor  orphan  unit  of  humanity  transferred  to  an  inhospitable 
sphere  that  did  not  even  offer  him  a  cup  of  water  wherewith 
to  slake  his  thirst.  And  then  he  put  his  head  on  the  heath- 
er, and  fell  peacefully  asleep  again  ;  the  rain  might  rain  as  it 
liked. 


CHAPTER  XXII 
AN      INFORMER 

The  rumor  ran  through  Duntroone  that  some  accident — 
some  slight  accident — had  happened  to  the  Ai-os  Castle  ;  cer- 
tain it  is  that,  instead  of  continuing  her  voyage  as  usual,  she 
had  slowly  steamed  back,  and  was  now  lying  alongside  the 
quay.  And  Barbara,  as  soon  as  the  mid-day  meal  was  over, 
and  herself  more  or  less  set  at  liberty,  put  on  her  things 
quickly  and  went  out,  no  doubt  wishing  to  hear  the  latest 
news. 

But  she  had  not  gone  a  dozen  yards  when  she  saw  in  the 
distance  none  other  than  Jack  Ogilvie  himself ;  he  was  com- 
ing along  in  his  usual  leisurely  fashion,  smoking  his  pipe. 
She  instantly  paused.  She  glanced  across  towards  the  tobac- 
conist's shop,  to  see  if  there  was  any  one  at  the  door.  Then 
she  retreated  into  the  entry  from  which  she  had  just  emerged  ; 
and  there  she  remained,  hiding  herself  in  the  dusk,  until  she 
knew  that  Ogilvie  must  have  passed  and  be  well  on  his  way, 
wherever  that  might  be  leading  him.  And  then  she  came 
out  again  ;  and,  with  another  nervous  glance  across  the  street, 
she  proceeded  to  follow  in  the  direction  he  had  taken,  and 
that  with  an  idle  and  indifferent  air,  as  though  she  were  merely 
going  for  a  haphazard  stroll. 

There  was  no  need  for  her  to  quicken  her  pace  ;  she  knew 
that  any  one  leaving  Duntroone  by  this  road  must  necessari- 
ly return  by  it,  the  pathway  around  the  shore  being  blocked ; 
and  so  she  had  ample  time  to  arrange  her  cuffs  and  smooth 
her  hair — and  also  to  summon  up  some  trifle  of  courage,  in 
view  of  a  possible  meeting.  Nevertheless,  when  her  anxious 
eyes  discovered  for  her  that  Jack  Ogilvie  had  taken  advantage 
of  a  way-side  seat  to  rest  for  a  few  seconds  m  order  to  fill  his 
pipe,  her  heart  began  beating  in  a  painful  fashion,  and  once 
or  twice  she  hesitated,  as  if  afraid  to  go  farther.     Then  she 


180  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

went  on  more  boldly,  looking  at  the  brushwood,  and  at  the 
moss-grown  wall,  and  at  the  deep  hollow  with  its  cottages  and 
gardens,  as  if  her  attention  were  wholly  occupied  by  these. 

She  drew  near.  He  did  not  look  up.  She  came  abreast  of 
him — irresolute — her  eyes  conscious  of  his  every  movement 
and  attitude,  yet  pretending  to  be  fixed  far  ahead.  And  then 
something — perhaps  the  passing  of  her  skirts — attracted  his 
notice  ;  there  was  an  upward  glance ;  the  next  instant  he  was 
on  his  feet. 

"  Oh,  how  do  you  do,  Miss  Barbara  ?"  he  said,  in  his  ready 
and  pleasant  fashion. 

Her  face  was  afire  as  she  timidly  gave  him  her  hand.  If 
she  had  been  sure  that  she  could  safely  address  him  in  Gaelic, 
perhaps  she  would  have  been  less  embarrassed. 

"  I  hear  there  was  an  accident  to  the  Aros  Castle,"  she 
managed  to  say  in  her  confusion  ;  "  I  hope  there  was  no  one 
hurt," 

"  Oh  no  ;  not  at  all,"  he  answered  her,  lightly.  "  Very  little 
of  an  accident — leaking  steam-tubes,  or  something  of  that 
kind.  But  I  may  have  a  day  or  two's  holiday  ;  and,  of  course, 
getting  so  much  of  the  salt  water  ordinarily,  it  is  but  natural 
1  should  turn  landward  when  1  have  an  hour  for  a  stroll. 
And  which  way  were  you  going,  Miss  Barbara?"  he  contin- 
ued, in  the  same  free-and-easy  manner.  "  Towards  Cowal, 
perhaps  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  I  was  thinking — "  she  said  ;  and  there  she  stopped. 
She  seemed  frightened  ;  for  the  next  word  on  either  side 
might  involve  a  suggestion  that  they  should  walk  on  to- 
gether. Her  shyness  and  alarm  were  equally  tmperceived  by 
the  purser. 

"  Well,  I  had  some  half  idea  of  going  there  myself,"  he 
said,  cheerfully.  "And  two's  company,  and  one's  none — 
if  you  don't  mind." 

He  appeared  to  take  her  acquiescence  for  granted;  for 
without  more  ado  he  placed  himself  by  her  side,  and  they 
proceeded  on  their  way  :  she  trembling,  breathless,  over- 
joyed;  be  rather  glad  that,  as  he  was  sauntering  towards 
Cowal   Ferry  any  way,  he  "had  encountered  a  very  pretty  girl 

who  could  walk  and  chat  with  him. 

And  then,  as  in   duty   bound,   lie    began   to  ask  after  the. 


AN    INFORMER  181 

health  of  her  aunt ;  and  he  would  most  likely  have  spoken  of 
Jess ;  and  perhaps  expressed  a  hope  that  the  tobacconist  busi- 
ness continued  to  flourish  ;  but  Barbara  would  have  none  of 
these  petty  and  commonplace  details ;  she  hastily  brushed 
them  aside:  she  wanted  to  know  all  about  the  forthcoming 
ball  to  be  given  to  the  Glasgow  Gaelic  Choir ;  she  asked  him, 
rather  nervously,  how  he  proposed  to  secure  any  dances  for 
himself,  if  he  had  to  act  as  master  of  the  ceremonies ;  and 
then,  with  a  certain  coyness,  she  supposed  that  on  so  great  an 
occasion  he  would  have  no  time  to  come  and  speak  to  his 
friends.  Well,  if  that  was  her  cue,  he  was  willing  enough  to 
respond ;  it  mattered  little  to  him  what  the  conversation  was 
about.  And  thus  it  was  that  visions  of  festivities  began  to 
form  themselves  before  Barbara's  eyes  ;  and  there  were  melo- 
dious strains,  and  the  continuous  whisper  of  swift -gliding 
feet ;  her  brain  became  exalted  with  the  excitement  of  brilliant 
lights  and  fine  dresses  and  the  kaleidoscopic  groupings  of 
color.  And  it  was  the  hero  and  chief  figure  of  that  gay  world 
who  was  beside  her ;  who  was  devoting  himself  to  her  en- 
tertainment;  who  had  pretty  plainly  intimated  that  on  the 
eventful  evening  in  question  she  and  her  immediate  compan- 
ions were  not  likely  to  be  neglected. 

By  this  time  they  were  well  away  from  the  little  town,  and 
out  in  the  silence  of  the  country  —  a  silence  so  hushed  and 
still  that  the  crunching  of  cart-wheels  on  the  road  could  be 
heard  at  a  surprising  distance.  It  was  an  ideal  day  for  a 
lovers'  ramble — an  April  day  so  fine  and  rare  and  clear  that 
it  seemed  as  if  summer  had  already  taken  possession  of  the 
land ;  the  heavens  a  dome  of  fleckless  sapphire ;  the  slopes 
of  heather  and  pasture  basking  and  brooding  in  the  grateful 
warmth ;  far  away  beyond  the  waters  of  Loch  Linnhe  the 
long  range  of  the  mountains  became  etherealized  and  dream- 
like— the  mountains  of  Kingairloch,  of  Morven,  and  "  Muile 
nam  mor-bheann,"  Mull  of  the  great  hills.  And  then  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  lower  end  of  Lismore,  and  the  light- 
house, and  the  entrance  to  the  Sound. 

"  That  is  a  beautiful  way  your  steamer  goes,"  said  she, 
"  and  I  am  sure  you  must  be  pleased  to  be  on  so  fine  a  boat." 

"  I'm  sick  tired  of  the  whole  thing,"  he  answered  her, 
bluntly.     And  then,  seeing  that  she  looked  startled,  he  went 


182  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

on  :  "  I'm  sick  tired  of  looking  after  the  landing  of  herring- 
boxes,  and  collecting  ninepences  and  eighteenpences  from 
half-drunk  drovers.  And  as  for  any  position  or  considera- 
tion, now  and  again  a  shore  acquaintance  will  come  up  and 
pretend  to  be  friendly,  expecting  me  to  let  him  off  for  half- 
fare  ;  and  the  laird's  wife,  when  she  comes  along  the  gang- 
way, may  toss  me  a  civil  word,  if  she  thinks  I  can  help  her 
with  her  luggage  ;  but  the  daughters — the  young  ladies — oh, 
dear,  no ! — if  they  take  any  notice  of  me  at  all,  they  stare  at 
me  as  they  would  stare  at  a  policeman.  But  look  at  the 
purser  on  one  of  the  Australian  liners,  for  example ;  there's  a 
position  now  —  there's  consideration  ;  maybe  two  or  three 
hundred  first-class  passengers  on  board,  and  the  purser  of 
far  more  consequence  to  them  than  the  captain  —  getting  up 
dances  and  entertainments  for  them,  and  taking  a  chief  part 
— and  every  evening  at  the  head  of  his  own  table  in  the 
saloon,  in  dress  uniform,  with  his  particular  friends  dining 
along  with  him.  That  is  something;  that  is  not  like  landing 
herring-boxes,  or  getting  the  passengers  out  of  the  way  to 
have  half-a-dozen  stirks  driven  on  board.  Yes,  indeed,  I'm 
sick  tired  of  it — whatever  the  tourists  and  people  of  that 
sort  may  say  about  the  beautiful  mountains  and  the  islands. 
Give  me  a  chance,  and  I  tell  you  I'm  off !" 

"Are  you  —  are  you  wishing  to  go  away  from  here  alto- 
gether ?"  she  said — with  the  strangest  look  on  her  face. 

Probably  he  did  not  notice.  lie  answered  her  with  much 
equanimity  : 

"  Give  me  the  chance,  as  I  say.  There's  more  fun  and 
frolic  in  foreign  parts — and  more  to  see — " 

«  Bat — but  one  should  be  fondest  of  one's  own  country," 
she  said,  rather  faintly. 

"Oh  yes,"  he  replied,  "when  one's  own  country  finds  one 
a  good  berth.  But  the  fact  is  that  the  purserships  of  the 
Australian  liners  don't  grow  on  blackberry  -  bushes ;  and  in 
the  meantime,  Miss  Barbara,  I've  just  to  put  up  with  what 
I've  got,  as  best  I  can." 

And  so,  wilh  varied  discourse — quite  unconcerned  on  his 
part,   on    hers    more    strained    and    nervously   anxious  —  they 

continued  on  their  way,  and  eventually  reached  Cowal  Ferry, 

which  was  the  goal  of  their  fortuitous  excursion.     But  at  this 


AN    INFORMER  183 

point  there  is  a  solitary  little  inn,  overlooking  the  low-mur- 
muring rapids  of  the  sea-loch  ;  and  it  occurred  to  Jack  Ogil- 
vie  that  he  ought  not  to  let  his  companion  set  out  on  the  re- 
turn journey  without  offering  her  some  slight  refreshment. 

"  Will  you  not  step  inside,"  said  he,  in  his  off-hand  fash- 
ion, "  and  sit  down  for  a  few  minutes,  and  have  a  cup  of  tea, 
or  a  glass  of  milk,  or  something  of  the  kind  ?  It's  a  good 
long  way  back — and  the  afternoon  is  drawing  on." 

She  hesitated,  but  only  for  a  moment.  Being  with  him, 
walking  with  him,  was  the  astounding  and  bewildering  thing  ; 
to  go  into  a  room  and  sit  down  seemed  nothing  different  from 
that,  nothing  more  remarkable.  So  quite  obediently  she  fol- 
lowed him  into  the  narrow  passage ;  and  when  he  opened  the 
door  of  an  apartment  that  was  clearly  intended  for  the  pub- 
lic— for  there  were  tea-things  on  the  table  and  scones  and 
marmalade  and  the  like — she  went  in  there  too,  and  took  a 
modest  seat.  As  for  him,  he  made  himself  entirely  at  home. 
He  rang  the  bell,  and  ordered  tea.  Then  he  turned  to  ex- 
amine the  pictures  —  mostly  chromo-  lithographs  of  German 
origin.  He  brought  her  the  surprising  and  miraculous  orna- 
ments from  the  mantel-piece,  and  he  was  laughing  at  the 
snow-white  poodles  and  the  whiskered  pards.  And  again, 
when  the  simple  repast  was  placed  before  them,  he  drew  in  a 
chair  for  her,  and  seated  himself  at  the  head  of  the  table,  and 
proceeded  to  help  her,  with  an  amiable  solicitude.  It  was  all 
like  a  dream  to  Barbara.  She  hardly  knew  how  she  had 
come  hither.  The  scones  were  scones  of  magic  —  when  the 
sun-god  himself  was  laughing  and  talking  to  her. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  the  door  was  opened  and  there  ap- 
peared—  Long  Lauchie  the  shoemaker.  Lauchlan  was  in  a 
genial  mood;  he  did  not  stay  to  apologize  for  any  intrusion; 
he  shut  the  door  behind  him,  and  advanced  to  the  table,  and 
pulled  in  a  chair. 

*•'  Aw,  it's  a  fine  thing  to  come  among  friends,"  he  said ; 
and  he  was  smiling  with  a  vague  benignity,  "  and  I  was  see- 
ing you  in  the  distance,  before  you  came  near  the  house. 
Aye,  if  it  had  not  been  for  friends  and  for  a  friendly  glass 
here  or  there,  where  would  I  be  now  ?  Aw,  Dyeea,  I  thought 
I  was  never  to  be  back  in  a  Christian  country  again ! — and  if 
it  had  not  been  for  the  farmer  at  the  head  of  Glen  Sharay — 


184  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

well,  I  will  pay  him  that  bottle  back  as  sure  as  I  am  a  living 
man."  He  stopped,  and  regarded  the  purser  with  a  look  of 
mysterious  significance.  "  Now,  Mr.  Ogilvie,  was  you  hear- 
ing any  news  ?" 

"News?  What  news!"  inquired  Ogilvie,  who  bore  the 
interruption  quite  good-humorcdly. 

"  Aye,  was  you  hearing  any  news  ?"  he  repeated. 

"News? — news  about  what?"  said  the  purser. 

"  Aw,  well,  there  might  be  news  about  many  things — and 
maybe  about  deer,"  Lauchlan  said,  evasively,  and  there  was  a 
dark  merriment  in  his  eyes.  "  I  am  not  saying  anything,  but 
maybe  there  might  be  news." 

Here  the  young  servant-lass  came  in,  and  Lauchlan's  face 
at  once  became  solemn  and  impenetrable.  But  when  she  had 
placed  the  whiskey  and  the  tumbler  before  him,  and  departed, 
he  burst  into  a  fit  of  soft  and  happy  laughter. 

"  Aw,  yes,  indeed,  there  may  be  news  in  a  day  or  two,"  he 
went  on,  and  clearly  he  was  chuckling  over  this  secret  that  he 
would  not  reveal.  "  But  I  was  not  saying  anything  to  any  one 
— how  could  I,  when  there  was  no  one  from  one  glen  to  the 
next,  and  from  one  hill  to  the  next? — as  sure  as  death  you 
would  not  believe  that  the  country  is  such  a  wide  country, 
with  roads  leading  to  no  place  at  ahl.  And  if  it  had  not  been 
for  the  farmer  at  Glen  Sharay — he's  the  man  for  me  ! — with 
many  and  many's  the  good  song,  sitting  ;it  the  table  ahl  the 
night  through  —  and  a  parting  glass  at  the  door  in  the 
morning — " 

"Well,  Mr.  Mac  I  nty  re,"  said  the  purser,  pleasantly,  "you 
seem  to  have  met  with  some  adventures;  but  what  in  Heaven's 
name  is  that  kind  of  shoe  you're  wearing?" 

Lauchlan  looked  down  at  his  left  foot,  which  was  encased 
in  an  old  battered  shoe  of  portentous  dimensions,  with  straws 
sticking  out  at  the  top. 

"  That  was  the  farmer's  too,"  said  he,  vaguely.  "He  lent  it  to 
me — and  it  was  raj  t  her  large — and  we  put  some  straw  into  it — " 

"  Yes,  but  what  has  become  of  your  own  shoe?"  was  the 
next  and  natural  question. 

"I  am  not  remembering,"  said  Lauchlan,  with  a  kind  of 
abstracted  look  in  his  eyes.  "lam  not  remembering, just 
at  the  moment.     Maybe  I  gave  it  to  a  beggar,  poor  man  1" 


AN    INFORMER  185 

It  was  Barbara  who  now  interposed  to  say  it  was  time  for 
them  to  go,  and  Ogilvie  at  once  acceded;  but  Lauchlan  Mac- 
Intyre  wanted  to  finish  his  liquor  in  peace  ;  so  they  were  well 
content  to  leave  him.  And  as  these  two  now  walked  away 
into  Duntroone,  the  rosy  evening  shone  along  the  blood-red 
leafless  heather ;  and  the  withered  pasture  slopes,  not  yet  an- 
swering to  the  summons  of  the  spring,  burned  a  warm  gold. 
But  if  the  world  around  them  seemed  all  aflame,  the  heavens 
above  them  were  of  a  pure  and  pale  lilac  hue,  with  not  even  a 
fleck  of  cloud  visible  anywhere.  The  silence  had  grown  still 
more  profound  with  the  dying  down  of  the  day ;  and  all  the 
birds  were  mute,  save  for  one  solitary  thrush,  on  some  dis- 
tant bough,  that  kept  charming  his  mate  with  his  clear  and 
silvery  trills.  Twilight  was  around  them  as  they  entered  the 
small  town  ;  and  here  and  there  a  golden  star  appeared  among 
the  rigging  in  the  harbor.  When  Barbara  got  up-stairs  to 
the  semi -darkness  of  her  own  room,  she  sat  down  without 
taking  off  any  of  her  finery ;  the  gates  of  wonderland  had 
just  been  closed,  it  is  true,  but  the  glory  and  glamour  were 
still  before  her  dazzled  eyes. 

On  this  same  evening  the  school-master  was  seated  in  Mrs. 
Maclean's  parlor,  and  he  was  in  an  unusually  cheerful  mood. 
He  was  endeavoring  to  show — as  he  placidly  smoked  his  pipe, 
and  watched  Jessie's  nimble  fingers  busy  with  her  needle,  the 
little  widow  attending  to  the  shop  when  necessary — he  was 
endeavoring  to  show  that  the  world  was  progressively  and 
surely  becoming  wiser,  this  happy  result  being  brought  about 
by  the  gradual  and  inevitable  elimination  of  fools.  The  fools 
having  become  extinct,  must  not  the  residue  of  mankind  en- 
joy a  larger  average  of  wisdom  ?  And  then  he  began  to  enu- 
merate the  various  classes  and  sections  and  sub-sections  of 
fools  who  were  by  degrees  extinguishing  themselves  out  of 
the  universe.  There  were,  for  example,  the  people  who  went 
with  a  lighted  candle  to  discover  the  origin  of  an  escape  of  gas  • 
undoubtedly  they  were  removing  themselves  from  amongst 
us.  And  there  were  the  people  who  made  fast  the  main-sheet 
of  a  sailing-boat.  And  there  were  the  people  who  ate  tinned 
lobster.  And  the  people  who  got  into  or  out  of  a  train  in  mo- 
tion. And  the  people  who  made  parachute  descents,  who  per- 
formed with  wild  beasts,  who  dived  from  bridges,  and  the  like. 


180  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  And  the  people  who  muddle  their  brains  with  whiskey," 
he  added,  in  an  undertone,  as  the  tall  form  of  the  shoemaker 
appeared  at  the  half-opened  door. 

But  Long  Lauchlan  did  not  overhear  this  remark ;  if  he 
had  overheard  it,  he  probably  would  have  taken  no  notice ;  he 
was  in  a  benignant  mood.  For  he  had  been  wandering  along 
from  one  crony's  house  to  another,  rejoiced  to  be  back  again 
in  human  society,  and  nursing  the  secret  and  blissful  con- 
sciousness of  having  been  engaged  in  an  exploit  that  would 
soon  be  the  talk  and  astonishment  of  all  the  West  Highlands. 
And  when  he  had  established  himself  among  this  further 
group  of  friends,  he  was  as  darkly  mysterious  as  ever ;  but 
very  happy. 

"  It  is  a  great  thing,"  he  was  saying,  complacently  (with 
one  foot  hidden  beneath  his  chair) — "  it  is  a  great  thing  to  be 
meeting  with  adventures.  Here  have  I  been  out  of  the  world 
for  two  days  and  more — aye,  maybe  three  days,  but  I  am  not 
so  sure,  for  it  was  a  wild  country.  And  it's  not  so  long  since 
I  went  through  to  Fort  William,  and  made  the  red-headed 
carpenter  flee  like  a  hare — aw,  Dyeea,  you  should  have  seen 
him  run  down  the  street  as  if  the  duvvle  was  after  him ;  and 
not  long  before  that  again  I  was  at  the  bringing  of  you  home, 
Mr.  Henderson,  from  among  the  rocks;  and  not  long  before 
that  was  the  wreck  of  the  Sanda,  aye,  and  the  funeral  of 
Knockalanish,  and  the  coming  away  with  Miss  Barbara.  And 
Fin  sure  I  could  scarce  believe  my  eyes  when  I  sah  her  this 
evening — her  and  Ogilvie  just  like  lad  and  lass — as  they  were 
drawing  near  to  Cowal  Ferry  ;  and  then  afterwards  the  two 
of  them  sitting  very  comfortable-like  in  the  parlor  of  the 
inn — " 

"  Lauchlan  Maclntyre,  what  are  you  talking  about  ?"  the 
widow  broke  in,  angrily.  "Are  you  havering?  Arc  you  out 
of  your  senses:1     Barbara — in  the  inn  at  Cowal  Ferry? — " 

Thus  unexpectedly  and  sharply  challenged,  the  shoemaker 
was  constrained  to  make  good  his  veracity;  he  had  to  give 
details;  he  insisted  on  the  truth  of  his  story;  while  Jess  Mae- 
lean  became  more  and  more  indignant. 

"  Mr.  Maclntyre,  you  have  been  asleep  and  dreaming!"  she 
exclaimed.  "Barbara  sitting  in  the  inn  parlor  with  Ogilvie 
the   purser? — you    never  saw   any  such  thing,  that  I   know! 


AN    INFORMER  187 

Barbara  had  plenty  to  do  about  the  house  this  afternoon  ;  she 
could  not  have  gone  out — to  Cowal  or  anywhere  else — " 

But  the  shoemaker  was  obdurate. 

"  Very  well,  then,"  said  Jess,  promptly,  "  I  will  go  over 
this  very  minute  and  see  Barbara — I  will  hear  from  herself  !" 

And  therewith  she  rose,  and  flung  a  shawl  round  her  shoul- 
ders, and  passed  through  the  front  shop. 

Meanwhile,  amid  all  this  insistence  and  indignant  denial, 
Allan  Henderson  had  remained  sternly  silent,  the  hard-lined 
ascetic  face  perhaps  a  trifle  grayer  than  usual.  And  now 
that  Jess  had  gone,  he  paid  no  heed  to  the  others  ;  he  seemed 
to  listen  with  a  morbid  intensity  for  her  return  ;  his  gaze  was 
fixed  furtively  but  unswervingly  on  the  door. 

Jess  Maclean  was  absent  for  only  a  few  minutes.  When 
she  came  back  into  the  room,  she  turned  to  Long  Lauchie  ; 
her  eyes  were  averted  ;  she  dared  not  look  in  Allan's  direc- 
tion. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Maclntyre,"  said  she,  humbly,  and 
with  the  most  painful  embarrassment ;  "  you  were  quite  right. 
Barbara  was  at  Cowal  Ferry  this  evening — and — and  I  sup- 
pose she  met  Ogilvie  by  accident." 

And  then  the  school-master  knew  his  doom. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
AT    AN    OPEN    DOOR 

And  yet  he  would  know  it  from  herself.  On  the  following 
afternoon,  as  soon  as  his  school-work  was  over,  he  left  the 
dull  gray  building  and  at  once  and  hurriedly  walked  along  to 
the  house  in  Campbell  Street.  It  was  a  wild  and  stormy 
evening  ;  and  wild  and  stormy  were  the  conflicting  passions 
that  strove  for  mastery  in  his  heart — black  hate  and  jealousy 
of  the  man  who  had  entrapped  an  innocent  girl  into  these 
clandestine  relations — a  stung  pride  that  even  now  prompted 
him  to  turn,  and  go  back  home,  and  have  done  with  her  for- 
ever— and  then  again  a  sort  of  desperate  hope  that  all  might 
yet  be  well,  that  some  explanation  would  be  forthcoming, 
that  the  beautiful  eyes  might  still  have  a  friendly  look  for 
him.  This  way  and  that  surged  these  emotions  and  fancies — 
perhaps  with  the  darker  predominating.  For  she  had  allowed 
him  to  believe  that  he  might  win  her  for  his  wife  ;  and  she 
had  listened  to  his  schemes,  in  which  she  was  supposed  to 
have  a  personal  interest ;  and  if,  while  thus  giving  him  tacit 
encouragement,  she  was  holding  secret  communication  with 
that  other  ?  When  Allan  Henderson  proceeded  up  the  nar- 
row stairway  and  knocked  at  the  door,  his  brows  were  sombre 
enough  ;  and  he  was  steeling  himself  to  indignation  and  re- 
proach. 

The  girl  Christina  admitted  him,  and  in  answer  to  his 
question  showed  bira  into  the  parlor,  where  he  found  Bar- 
bara alone,  engaged  in  needle-work.  On  his  entering,  she 
looked  up  startled,  and  even  apprehensive,  for  he  had  never 
called  iii  this  fashion  before;  but  at  all  events  she  rose  to 
Kid  him  welcome;  and  then  she  civilly  asked  him  to  take  a 
Chair.  Her  manner  was  cold  and  reserved;  she  seemed  to  be 
OH  her  guard  ;    it  was  for  him  tO  speak. 

Bat  whither    bad    tied    all   the  anger  and  reprobation  with 


AT  AN  OPEN  DOOR  189 

which  he  had  come  armed  ?  The  mere  sight  of  her  had  dis- 
pelled all  that;  the  touch  of  her  hand  had  thrilled  him  strange- 
ly ;  and  now  that  she  had  returned  to  her  work  —  now  that 
he  could  with  impunity  regard  the  modestly  lowered  lashes, 
the  fresh  and  sweet  complexion,  the  graceful  outline  of  fore- 
head and  cheek  and  throat — in  place  of  any  wrathful  up- 
braiding there  was  only  an  irresistible  longing  to  possess  and 
defend.  She  was  a  solitary  creature — untaught  in  the  ways 
of  the  world — she  wanted  some  one  to  protect  her  from 
harm.  And  then,  and  above  all,  she  was  so  maddeningly 
beautiful  that  his  heart  seemed  to  suffocate  within  him  ;  it 
was  he,  not  she,  who  was  stunned  and  bewildered  by  this  sud- 
den juxtaposition. 

"  That  is  a  very  pretty  dress,"  said  he — as  the  outcome  of 
all  his  tumultuous  wrongs  ! 

"  I  am  altering  it  a  little,"  she  answered,  without  raising 
her  eyes. 

There  was  a  moment  or  two  of  silence. 

"  It  is  clever  of  you  to  be  able  to  do  that  for  yourself,"  he 
observed,  anxious  to  propitiate. 

"  I  have  been  used  to  it  all  my  life,"  she  made  answer.  "  My 
mother  was  ill  two  or  three  years  before  she  died  ;  and  I  had 
to  do  everything." 

And  now  she  had  recovered  somewhat  from  her  vague  ap- 
prehension, and  was  inclined  to  be  a  little  more  friendly.  He 
had  no  reproaches  to  make,  then  ?  It  was  only  a  visit  from  a 
sweetheart,  or  one  wishing  to  be  a  sweetheart? — and  that  any 
girl  could  take  only  as  a  compliment. 

"  I  suppose  there  was  not  much  fine  dress-making  at  Kil- 
ree  ?"  he  remarked  again. 

"  We  could  not  have  afforded  it  in  any  case,"  she  replied. 
"And  indeed  I  am  rather  frightened  about  what  I  am  doing 
now ;  for  this  is  the  dress  I  am  to  wear  on  the  evening  of  the 
Glasgow  Choir  being  here." 

It  was  an  unintentional  shaft,  but  it  struck  deep.  For  that 
was  the  evening  the  purser  had  talked  so  much  of  ;  and  Bar- 
bara would  be  there — attracting  attention,  no  doubt,  if  not  by 
this  costume  she  was  now  working  at,  then  at  least  by  the  sym- 
metry of  her  figure  and  the  elegance  of  her  gait.  He  was  al- 
most driven  to  ask  her  whether  she  thought  it  seemly  to  go  to 


190  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

a  dance  within  a  certain  number  of  months  of  her  father's 
funeral ;  but  he  forbore  ;  he  would  not  quarrel  with  her  ;  it 
was  so  wonderful  to  find  her  in  some  small  measure  gracious. 

"  Have  you  been  over  the  way  ?"  she  went  on.  "  I  heard 
from  Jessie  that  you  looked  in  yesterday." 

And  this  also  was  unlucky  ;  it  reawoke  his  jealous  tortures 
of  the  previous  afternoon.     He  could  no  longer  be  silent. 

"It  was  then,"  he  said,  in  measured  tones — and  he  watched 
her — "  it  was  then  I  was  told  of  your  having  been  at  Cowal 
Ferry  with  Ogilvie  the  purser." 

She  flushed  hotly,  but  she  replied,  with  some  touch  of  dis- 
dain, 

"  Yes  ;  they  make  a  great  deal  of  that,  for  a  small  matter." 

"  That  is  no  small  matter,"  said  he,  slowly  and  seriously, 
"  that  may  affect  a  girl's  good  name." 

At  this  she  fired  up — her  cheeks  still  crimson. 

"And  who  says  anything  against  my  good  name  ?"  she  de- 
manded. 

His  breath  came  and  went ;  he  did  not  know  what  to  say — 
whether  to  let  the  darker  passions  in  his  heart  have  utterance, 
or  whether  it  was  still  possible  to  forget  and  forgive,  on 
account  of  the  beauty  of  her  raven  hair,  her  liquid  eyes,  and 
the  splendid  lines  of  her  throat. 

"  For  myself  I  care  little  what  Ogilvie's  character  may  be," 
said  he,  stiffly  and  ominously  ;  "  but  a  young  girl  would  look 
better  after  her  reputation  who  did  not  happen  to  be  found 
with  him  in  a  way-side  public-house." 

She  raised  her  head  quickly  ;  her  eyes  were  merciless ;  her 
lips  were  pale. 

"  As  for  my  reputation,"  she  said — hesitating  a  little  in  her 
excitement  to  find  proper  expression  in  English,  "  I  am  glad 
—  it  is  not  in  the  hands  of  such  friends  as  you  !" 

"  Barbara!"  he  exclaimed — as  if  she  had  struck  him. 

But  she  was  passionate  also. 

"And  as  for  Mr.  Ogilvie,"  she  continued,  in  the  same  taunt- 
in--  and  angry  fashion,  "if  you  have  anything  to  say  against 
him,  why  do  you  not  say  it  to  himself?  Why  do  you  come 
to  me  with  the  story? — and  suspecting  harm  wlicrc  there  is 
no  harm.  1  do  not  wish  for  any  more  friends  of  that  kind. 
Is  it  a  great  thing  to  have  ;i  cup  of  tea  at  Cowal  Ferry? — 


AT    AN    OPEN    DOOR  191 

well,  that  is  my  business,  and  not  the  business  of  any  one 
else  ;  and  I  will  look  after  my  own  good  name,  and  no  thanks 
to  any  one — no  thanks  to  my  friends !  And  if  you  have  any 
complaint  against  Mr.  Ogilvie,  I  think  you  would  do  better 
to  go  to  himself  ;  and  maybe  he  will  have  his  answer  for 
you—" 

Henderson  rose  to  his  feet,  his  dark  eyes  aflame,  his  cheeks 
ashen  gray. 

"  There  you  have  spoken  a  true  word,  Barbara,"  said  he — 
though  the  effort  of  speech  appeared  almost  to  stifle  him. 
"  It  is  with  Ogilvie  I  will  deal.  With  you  I  have  no  quar- 
rel. If  he  is  trying  to  take  advantage  of  your  ignorance, 
I  will  settle  scores  with  him.  He  knows,  if  you  do  not 
know.  I  will  ask  him  a  question,  and  I  will  make  him  an- 
swer— " 

Again  she  looked  up  quickly  ;  there  was  something  in  the 
expression  of  his  face  that  caused  her  alarm. 

"  What — what  will  you  do  ?" 

"  Well,  with  you  I  have  no  quarrel,"  was  his  only  reply. 
"  At  any  rate,  you  and  I  can  part  as  friends." 

But  at  this  her  eyes  fell  again,  and  she  would  take  no  no- 
tice of  his  extended  hand. 

"  I  am  friends  with  my  friends,"  said  she,  sullenly,  "  and 
not  with  others." 

He  stood  for  a  moment  irresolute,  gazing  at  her ;  then  he 
abruptly  turned  on  his  heel — his  brows  black  and  drawn  to- 
gether, his  underjaw  stern  almost  to  savageness ;  and  in  an- 
other couple  of  seconds  he  had  quitted  the  house. 

On  the  morning  of  the  day  on  which  the  members  of  the 
Glasgow  Gaelic  Choir  were  to  be  entertained  by  their  High- 
land comrades,  Mr.  McFadyen  walked  along  to  the  railway 
station.  The  hush  of  noon  had  fallen  over  the  place  ;  there 
were  no  trains  either  arriving  or  departing ;  and  when  the 
town -councillor  stepped  into  the  station-master's  office,  Mr. 
Gilmour  looked  up  from  his  work  as  if  interruption  were  wel- 
come. 

"  Can  ye  spare  me  a  few  minutes,  James  ?"  the  visitor  in- 
quired. 

"  Directly  —  in  a  second,"  answered  the  station  -  master. 


192  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

He  signed  the  document  he  had  been  scanning,  and  re- 
turned it  to  the  messenger  who  was  standing  by.  Then  he 
rose  from  his  desk.  "  Now  I'm  with  you,  Peter,"  he  said, 
blithely. 

"  I  want  you  to  come  along  to  the  house — there's  some- 
thing I  would  like  your  advice  about,"  said  Peter,  with  quite 
unusual  shyness. 

The  good-natured  station-master  at  once  assented  ;  he  took 
down  his  cap ;  and  presently  the  two  friends  were  outside  and 
making  round  by  the  harbor. 

"I  say,  Jamie,"  observed  the  councillor,  with  an  assumption 
of  indifference,  "  what  do  you  think,  now,  of  the  Highland 
dress  for  showing  off  the  figure  ?" 

"  That  depends  on  the  figure,  I  would  say,"  responded  the 
station-master,  bluntly. 

"  A  fine  answer  !"  said  Mr.  McFadyen,  with  scorn.  "  Can- 
not ye  understand  what  I  mean?  I  mean  the  Highland  dress 
as  compared  with  any  other  dress — " 

"  Are  you  going  to  sport  the  kilt,  Peter — is  that  what 
you're  aiming  at  ?"  cried  the  station-master.  "Are  you  going 
to  make  a  chieftain  of  yourself  ?  Are  you  going  to  wear  two 
feathers  in  your  cap  ?  Or  three,  and  make  yourself  a  chief  ? 
Dod,  ye  might  as  well  be  a  chief  as  a  chieftain,  when  it's  only 
an  imaginary  clan  you've  got  at  your  back.  For  who  ever 
heard  of  the  clan  McFadyen  ?" 

"  Who  ever  heard  of  the  clan  Gilmour!"  retorted  the  coun- 
cillor, angrily. 

"There  you're  out  of  it,"  said  the  tall  thin  man  with  the 
bright  red  hair.  "There  you're  out  of  it,  Peter,  my  friend," 
In'  repeated,  in  saturnine  trinmph.  "  For  at  least  my  name 
is  Highland.  'Gilmour' — 'Gillie  mor' — the  big  young  man. 
Bui  McFadyen — McFadyen  ! — who  on  God's  earth  could  ever 
find  "tit  tin'  meaning  of  a  name  like  that?  And  maybe  you'll 
be  f<>r  saying  next  that  there's  a  McFadyen  tartan  !" 

"Oh  yes,  you're  very  clever!"  remarked  the  councillor,  pee- 
vishly. "Do  you  know  what  they  say  about  people  that  are 
as  clever  as  you? — they  Say, '  You're  so  clever  you  could  steal 
the  eggs  from  under  ;i  heron,  with  her  two  eyes  watching 
you.'  \'>w\  although  you're  so  mighty  clever,  Mr.  Jamie,  pcr- 
baps  you   don'1    know  that  there  are  three   tartans,  the  clan 


AT    AN    OPEN    DOOR  193 

tartan,  the  hunting  tartan,  and  the  dress  tartan ;  and  when  it 
comes  to  the  dress  tartan,  you  can  choose  for  yourself — " 

"  Peter,"  said  Gilmour,  with  a  cackle  of  irreverent  laughter, 
"  I  would  give  my  best  pair  of  breeks  to  see  ye  going  through 
the  town  rigged  out  in  the  royal  Stuart !" 

"  Indeed  !"  said  Peter,  contemptuously.  "  But  if  you  were 
still  a  little  more  clever,  you  would  understand  that  people  do 
not  go  about  the  streets  in  a  dress  tartan." 

Nevertheless,  when  they  reached  the  councillor's  house,  this 
tone  of  acerbity  could  not  be  maintained  ;  for  Peter  was  se- 
riously anxious  for  advice,  and  perhaps  even  hopiug  for  sympa- 
thetic approval ;  and  so,  when  he  had  ushered  the  station-mas- 
ter into  his  principal  room,  he  said,  in  a  more  amicable  fashion  : 

"  I'll  tell  ye  the  truth,  Jamie.  There's  the  entertainment  to 
the  Glasgow  Choir  this  evening,  and  the  dance,  and  all  the 
rest  of  it ;  and  I  was  saying  to  myself  that  that  young  spark 
of  an  Ogilvie  was  giving  himself  too  many  airs  with  his  swal- 
low-tail coat  and  his  studs  and  the  like.  I've  a  coat  of  that 
kind  myself,  that  I  got  about  a  dizzen  years  ago  for  the  dep- 
utation to  Glasgow  ;  but  I  was  trying  it  on  the  other  day,  and 
it  made  me  look  fearfu'  like  a  Free  Kirk  minister  on  a  plat- 
form. And  then  says  I  to  myself,  '  Well,  there's  other  ways 
o'  taking  the  shine  out  of  that  young  sprig — '  "  He  paused. 
"  They  came  home  last  night,"  he  resumed,  rather  timidly 
glancing  towards  his  friend.  "  Man,  I  wish  ye  would  tell  me 
whether  you  think  they'll  do — " 

"Let's  have  a  look  at  them,  then!"  said  Gilmour. 

Thereupon  Mr.  McFadyen  left  the  room,  returning  shortly 
with  a  number  of  parcels,  which  he  opened  and  displayed  on 
the  table.  Everything  was  here  to  make  up  a  correct  High- 
land costume  —  cap,  doublet,  vest,  kilt,  sporran,  hose,  and 
shoes;  while  dirk  and  sgean-dubh  were  brave  with  cairngorms 
and  silver. 

"  But  put  them  on,  man  !"  the  station-master  remonstrated. 
"Go  away  and  put  them  on,  and  let's  see  how  ye  look!" 

"  I'm  not  sure  whether  the  dirk  and  the  sgean-dubh  should 
be  worn  at  such  a  gathering,"  said  the  councillor,  with  some 
diffidence. 

"  Oh,  go  away  and  get  the  things  on  !"  his  friend  said,  im- 
patiently.    "  I  want  to  see  if  ye  look  at  home  in  them." 
9 


194  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

AVell,  when  Mr.  McFadyen,  after  a  good  ten  minutes'  ab- 
sence, reappeared  at  the  door  of  the  parlor,  he  certainly  did 
not  look  at  home  in  this  resplendent  costume  ;  for  he  was  ex- 
tremely embarrassed  and  anxious  and  self-conscious ;  but  all 
the  same  the  station-master  had  not  the  heart  to  criticise, 
much  less  to  smile.  It  was  so  abnormal  to  find  Peter  —  the 
self-confident,  self-assertive  Peter — in  this  sensitive  and  al- 
most supplicatory  mood  that  out  of  mere  compassion  and  to 
encourage  him  Gilmour  said  he  thought  the  general  effect  was 
just  first-rate.     Peter  was  immensely  relieved. 

"  You've  got  to  get  accustomed  to  it,  of  course,"  said  he. 
"  Naturally,  you've  got  to  get  accustomed  to  it.  And  what's 
more,  you've  got  to  get  used  to  people  looking  at  you." 

"  Man,  you'll  cut  a  dash  at  the  Highland  Games  !"  contin- 
ued Gilmour,  with  friendly  approval.  "It  suits  ye,  Peter — I 
tell  ye  it  suits  ye." 

And  now  Mr.  McFadyen,  still  further  flattered  and  puffed 
up,  was  determined  to  show  that  he  was  not  afraid  to  chal- 
lenge alien  scrutiny.  He  rang  the  bell.  Presently  there  ap- 
peared the  maid-servant  Sarah,  a  great,  big,  stupid-looking, 
porridge-fed,  rubicund  lass,  with  staring  blue  eyes. 

"Sarah — "  said  her  master,  with  lofty  unconcern. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"Yc'll  go  along  to  Mr.  Dunbar — " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Ami  tell  him — " 

"Yes,  sir." 

The  fact  is,  the  tall  lass  was  saying  "Yes,  sir,"  quite  inco- 
herently, and  without  in  the  least  listening  to  the  message 
that  was  being  delivered  to  her  —  so  wholly  engrossed  was 
she  by  the  Startling  spectacle  that  her  master  now  presented. 

" — and  tell  him  to  have  a  machine  hereto-night  at,  a  quar- 
ter to  eight.  A  quarter  to  eight  —  do  ye  hear  me  ?  — not  a 
minute  later,  for  1  have  to  call  for  some  friends  before  going 
on  to  the  concert — " 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Sarah,  her  eyes  all-devouring. 

"Go  away,  then,"  said  her  master,  sharply;  "and  mind, 
not  a  minute  after  a  quarter  to  eight." 

she  made  a  sudden  jerky  effort  to  retire — apparently  over- 
come by  some  extraordinary  emotion;  she  succeeded  in  get- 


AT    AN    OPEN    DOOR  195 

ting  the  door  between  her  and  the  two  men ;  and  then,  the 
moment  it  was  shut,  they  heard  in  the  passage  a  tremendous 
explosion  of  long-suppressed,  incontrollable,  half-choked  gig- 
gling. The  infection  was  irresistible.  In  spite  of  himself 
the  station-master  burst  into  a  wild  guffaw  of  laughter ;  he 
roared  and  roared;  he  could  not  stop  —  though  his  face  was 
purple  with  shame ;  his  long,  angular  carcass  was  shaken  by 
the  violence  of  this  ungovernable  merriment,  and  he  struck 
his  knees  with  his  fists. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Peter,"  he  gasped — with  tears  running 
down  his  cheeks.  "I  did  not  intend  it  —  upon  my  soul.  I 
did  not  intend  it — it  was  that  daft  lass — I'm  sure  she's  half- 
witted— "  And  here  he  set  to  roaring  and  laughing  again. 
"  That  daft  idiot  of  a  lass ! — what  on  earth  did  she  break  out 
like  that  for — a  giggling  idiot ! — I  see  nothing  myself  to  laugh 
at — except — except  that  she's  just  a  downright  born  idiot!" 

"Aye,  and  idiotcy  seems  to  be  catching,"  said  Mr.  McFad- 
yen,  who  had  preserved  a  calm  dignity,  as  the  best  answer  to 
this  disgraceful  ebullition. 

"  Well,  I  must  be  going,"  the  penitent  station-master  said, 
as  he  glanced  at  his  watch  and  rose.  "  Never  you  mind,  Peter ; 
I  think  you  look  fine  in  the  tartan — and — and  I'm  sure  I  beg 
your  pardon  for  a  bit  friendly  laugh." 

"You're  welcome  —  you're  welcome,"  said  the  councillor, 
with  much  state  ;  and  ceremoniously  and  stiffly  he  conducted 
the  station-master  to  the  door,  and  bade  him  good-day. 

But  all  that  afternoon  Peter  McFadyen  was  tormented  by  a 
thousand  vacillating  decisions  and  arguments  and  fears.  He 
could  not  attend  to  his  business ;  he  would  leave  his  office, 
and  run  up-stairs  to  his  bedroom,  and  contemplate  that  dis- 
tracting, tempting,  dreaded  costume.  Then,  as  the  hour  ar- 
rived at  which  he  had  perforce  to  dress  one  way  or  another 
for  the  concert,  he  grew  desperate.  Was  he  to  be  deterred 
by  the  imbecile  hilarity  of  a  turnip-headed  scullery  wench  ? 
The  Highland  garb  was  no  novelty  in  Duntroone  ;  why  should 
he  shrink  from  observant  eyes  ?  And  at  last,  in  a  fit  of  mo- 
rose anger,  the  result  of  his  reflections  over  human  vacuity 
and  buffoonery,  he  deliberately  arrayed  himself  in  the  tartan  ; 
and  punctually  at  a  quarter  to  eight  he  descended,  got  into 
the  "  machine,"  and  set  out  for  Campbell  Street.     On  this 


196  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

occasion  the  big  "  porridgy  "  of  a  servant-lass  exercised  a  lit- 
tle more  self-control,  and  her  master  drove  away  with  some- 
thing of  a  lighter  heart. 

But  as  he  was  ascending  the  stair  towards  the  widow's 
rooms,  his  courage  once  more  oozed  away  from  him;  and 
when  he  was  shown  into  the  parlor,  in  which  Jessie  Maclean 
was  waiting,  a  dreadful  consciousness  broke  over  him  that  he 
had  made  a  mistake.  Jess,  poor  girl,  tried  to  pretend  that 
she  did  not  notice  anything  unusual  in  his  attire ;  but  there 
was  a  slight  flush  of  embarrassment  on  her  face  ;  and  the 
councillor  knew  —  somehow  he  knew  —  that  in  her  heart  she 
was  contemplating  with  dismay  the  prospect  of  having  to  go 
to  the  concert  with  him  in  this  guise. 

"Barbara  will  be  ready  in  a  few  minutes,"  Jess  said,  un- 
easily, and  with  her  eyes  downcast. 

But  this  casual  remark  was  an  inspiration.  There  was  still 
a  precious  interval?  —  there  was  still  a  blessed  chance  of  es- 
cape ?  Peter's  decision  was  taken  at  once.  He  began  to 
laugh. 

"  So  I  have  not  frightened  ye,  Miss  Jessie  ?"  said  he,  with 
a  jocosely  humorous  air.  "  I  thought  I  would  have  a  little  bit 
of  fun ;  I  thought  ye'd  get  a  fright  if  ye  fancied  I  was  going 
to  the  concert  and  the  dance  as  a  Highland  chief.  But  I'm 
not  so  far  off  my  head ;  no,  no ;  I'm  not  so  far  left  to  myself 
as  to  wear  things  like  these — except  for  a  joke,  ye  understand 
—  except  for  a  joke.  And  ye  may  tell  Miss  Barbara  not  to 
hurry  ;  though  I'll  no  be  long  —  no  — I'll  be  back  in  a  jiff." 
And  therewith  the  councillor,  his  soul  greatly  uplifted  within 
him,  hurried  down-stairs,  jumped  into  the  "machine"  that 
had  brought  him,  was  driven  off  home,  and  there  rapidly  cx- 
changed  his  Highland  rig  for  a  more  sober  outfit.  When  he 
returned  to  Mrs.  Maclean'B  house,  Barbara  was  fully  equipped  ; 
and  the  three  of  them  drove  away  to  the  Drill  Hall,  Mr.  Mc- 
Fadyen  being  the  merriest  of  the  merry. 

It  was  altogether  a  most  successful  evening.  The  Glas- 
gow Choir  sang  beautifully;  at  supper  Mr.   McFadyen  wcl- 

COmed    them    in    B   Speech    that   was    universally   applauded; 

and  when  at  length  the  hall  was  cleared  for  dancing,  every 

one  was  in  tin'  highest  <>f  spirits.  Barbara,  in  especial,  was 
all  animation  ;  she  seemed  t<>  drink  in  excitement  from  this 


AT    AN    OPEN    DOOR  197 

gay  scene  ;  there  was  a  tinge  of  color  in  her  check,  a  glow 
in  her  great  eyes,  that  told  of  her  delight.  Moreover,  Jack 
Ogilvie  had  not  forgotten  his  promise  ;  he  made  Barbara  and 
Jess  and  the  councillor  objects  of  special  attention  ;  any  one 
could  see  they  were  a  favored  group.  And  at  supper,  if  he 
did  not  actually  sit  with  them — for  he  had  to  look  chiefly 
after  the  guests  from  a  distance — at  least  he  came  along  and 
chatted  with  them  at  times. 

"And  what  dances  are  you  going  to  give  me,  Miss  Bar- 
bara?" said  he,  on  one  of  these  occasions.  "No.  1  is  a  qua- 
drille. Suppose  we  make  up  a  party  for  that?  And  you 
must  give  me  a  waltz  —  and  maybe  two  before  the  night  is 
out.     No.  9  is  a  mazourka — " 

"We  must  not  stay  here  late,"  interposed  Jess  —  seeing 
that  Barbara  was  ready  to  accept  all  the  dances  that  the 
purser  proposed. 

"  Come,  come,  it  is  I  that  am  in  authority  here,"  the  coun- 
cillor insisted,  "  and  I'll  have  no  spiriting  away  of  Cinder- 
ellas  before  the  proper  time.  We'll  begin  with  the  first  qua- 
drille— the  four  of  us  here  vis-a-vis — and  we'll  see  about  the 
other  dances  as  they  come.  I'm  just  in  the  mood  for  en- 
joying myself  the  night ;  yes,  I'm  that ;  and  we'll  show  them 
how  to  keep  it  up  !" 

But  of  all  the  varied  features  of  this  memorable  evening 
none  was  more  remarkable,  in  Jessie  Maclean's  eyes,  than  the 
ease  and  elegance  with  which  Barbara  danced.  Where  and 
how  had  the  Highland  lass,  away  out  in  the  rude  island, 
picked  up  such  an  accomplishment,  and  attained  to  such  a 
proficiency  ?  Her  naturally  graceful  figure  was  seen  to  the 
best  advantage  in  all  these  evolutions ;  no  wonder  (Jess  said 
to  herself)  that  the  young  men  regarded  her  with  covertly 
admiring  glances,  and  appeared  proud  and  pleased  when 
they  were  privileged  to  join  hands  with  her  in  coming  and 
going.  Never  before  had  the  councillor  found  himself  so 
much  sought  after  by  those  young  sparks  of  whom  he  was 
naturally  inclined  to  be  somewhat  jealous. 

There  was  one  other  who,  for  a  few  terrible  seconds,  be- 
held Barbara  in  this  her  hour  of  display  and  triumph.  The 
Drill  Hall  of  Duntroone  is  situated  in  an  out-of-the-way  and 
ill-lighted  lane ;  and  the  school-master,  wandering  aimlessly 


198  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

about  in  the  dark,  found  himself,  he  hardly  knew  why,  drawn 
to  that  long  and  dusky  building  from  which  sounds  of  music 
issued  into  the  hollow  air.  He  approached  nearer  and  nearer. 
The  entrance  door,  for  the  sake  of  ventilation,  had  been  left 
half  open ;  there  were  two  or  three  idle  lads  hanging  about 
and  looking  in  ;  he  also,  if  he  chose,  might  gaze  upon  that 
brilliant  throng,  himself  unseen.  He  wished  to  go  away, 
and  could  not ;  some  powerful  fascination  dragged  him  on- 
ward ;  at  last  the  dark  and  glowing  eyes  were  staring  in  from 
this  outer  gloom.  And  as  it  chanced  it  was  a  waltz  that  was 
being  performed ;  the  couples  circling  swiftly  and  easily  ;  the 
music  rising  and  falling  in  cadence.  And  then  his  eyes 
seemed  to  be  scared  as  with  a  red-hot  iron  ;  there  was  Bar- 
bara, in  all  the  flush  of  her  youthful  grace  and  beauty ;  and 
Ogilvie  it  was  who  held  her  one  hand  clasped  in  his,  whose 
arm  encircled  her  yielding  form.  It  was  plaintive  music  that 
sounded  down  the  long  hall  —  so  plaintive  that  there  almost 
appeared  to  be  some  cry  of  human  agony  in  it  —  some  de- 
spairing note  of  severance  and  loss  and  farewell.  Trembling 
and  haggard  of  visage,  the  on-looker  drew  himself  away  and 
hid  himself  in  the  night ;  it  was  as  if  he  had  been  blinded, 
and  knew  not  whither  he  was  going. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

ON     THE      VERGE 

All  through  the  black  hours  of  that  night  he  wandered 
round  the  shore  and  the  rocks,  while  the  moving  world  of 
waters  moaned  in  the  dark,  and  the  golden  ray  of  Lismore 
burned  steadily.  And  still  he  seemed  to  hear  the  low  and 
piteous  strains  of  waltz-music,  that  spoke  of  tragic  separation 
and  farewell ;  and  still  he  seemed  to  be  at  a  half-open  door, 
sheltered  by  the  obscurity,  and  gazing  in  upon  that  brilliant 
throng,  with  one  figure  there  receding  from  him,  as  it  were, 
and  being  lost  to  him  forever.  When  would  they  have 
done  with  their  dancing?  When  would  the  colors  fade,  and 
the  lights  go  out,  and  the  hush  of  sleep  fall  over  the  small 
town  ?  The  sound  of  the  revelry  appeared  to  follow  him : 
he  heard  it  all  through  the  unvaried,  incessant,  mysterious 
murmur  of  the  sea. 

The  long  night  went  by  ;  a  pale  and  wan  glow  slowly 
grew  in  the  east;  the  hills  and  woods  became  dimly  distin- 
guishable ;  the  trembling  plain  of  water  gradually  revealed 
itself,  livid  and  solitary  ;  beyond,  the  mountains  of  Mull  and 
Morven  were  still  swathed  in  heavy  folds  of  cloud.  And 
what  was  this  object  nearer  at  hand — this  first  sign  of  human 
habitation — what  but  the  gray  little  inn  at  Cowal  Ferry,  sur- 
rounded by  its  silent  homestead  ?  At  this  time  of  the  morn- 
ing it  appeared  but  as  the  ghost  of  a  house;  and  the  tale 
connected  with  it  seemed  to  have  likewise  acquired  a  kind  of 
remoteness ;  would  the  day  break  into  clear  and  white  light, 
and  show  firmer  and  hopefuler  things,  and  drive  away  those 
distracting  phantoms  of  the  past  ? 

Towards  eight  o'clock  or  thereabouts  he  knew  that  Jess 
Maclean  and  the  young  girl  Christina  would  come  down- 
stairs in  order  to  open  the  shop ;  and  a  little  before  that 
honr   he    returned    to    Duntroone,    passing   along    Campbell 


200  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

Street.  He  saw  the  two  girls  appear  and  cross  the  half- 
empty  thoroughfare.  He  watched  Christina  take  down  the 
shutters.  And  when,  after  a  few  minutes,  she  went  back  to 
the  house,  leaving  Jess  in  sole  possession,  he  walked  forward 
more  quickly.     Jess  was  in  the  front  shop  when  he  entered. 

"  You  arc  early  astir,  Jessie,  after  your  last  night's  gaye- 
ties,"  said  he,  with  apparent  calm ;  but  despite  this  forced 
composure,  there  was  something  in  his  tone,  something  in 
his  aspect,  too,  that  caused  her  serious  disquiet. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Allan  f"  she  demanded  at  once. 

"  Well,  I  have  come  to  you  in  my  trouble,"  said  he. 
"  Does  that  surprise  you  ?  It  seems  but  natural  I  should 
come  to  you.  Your  own  life  is  so  placid  and  happy  that 
suffering  and  tortured  wretches  come  to  you,  as  if  by  some 
kind  of  instinct,  for  consolation  and  sympathy.  And  you 
can  tell  me — Jess,  I'm  sure  you  can  tell  me,"  he  went  on,  in 
a  more  hurried  and  anxious  manner,  "  whether  there  is  any- 
thing between  Barbara  and  Ogilvie.  What  is  it  ?  What  is 
there  ?  Why  should  there  be  any  secrecy  ?  How  did  she 
come  to  be  with  him  in  the  inn  at  Cowal ;  and  how  did 
neither  your  mother  nor  you  know  she  was  going?  What 
does  he  mean  by  it  ?  He  can  have  his  pick  and  choice  of  so 
many  —  so  they  say — he  gives  himself  the  airs  of  a  lady- 
killer — why  should  he  turn  aside  for  a  simple  girl  like  Bar- 
bara? I  went  to  her  and  asked  her,"  he  continued,  in  his  too 
evident  distress,  "  and  she  had  Clothing  tor  me  but  angry 
words  and  taunts.  Plainly  enough  she  told  me  it  was  none 
of  my  business — that  I  had  no  right  to  interfere.  And  per- 
haps I  have  not ;  I  had  hoped  for  some  better  understanding 
with  her;  but  now,  it  seems,  I  must  not  even  speak.  And 
yet  how  can  one  stand  by  and  look  on  —  when  you  see  a 
young  girl,  ignorant  of  the  ways  of  the  world,  being  made 
a  fool  of,  made  sport  of,  for  the  amusement  of  an  empty- 
headed  fribble 8  Is  thai  what-  it-  is.'  Or  what  else  is  it  f 
What  does  it  mean  ?" 

"Come  into  the  parlor,  Allan,  and  sit  down,"  said  .less 
Maclean,  in  her  gentle  fashion  ;    and  he  followed  her  into  the 

room — but  he  remained  standing,  his  eyes  eagerly  searching 
for  an  answer  in  the  expression  of  her  face. 

And  yet  it  was  about  himself  that  she  was   mostly  concerned. 


ON    THE    VERGE  201 

"  You  are  not  looking  well,"  said  she ;  and  somehow  she 
half  guessed  that  he  had  been  wandering  to  and  fro  during 
the  night.   "  Have  you  had  your  breakfast  this  morning,  Allan  ?" 

"  Never  mind  about  that,"  he  replied.  And  then  he  pro- 
ceeded, rapidly  :  "  Tell  me,  Jessie  —  what  am  I  to  believe 
about  Barbara  ?  Is  there  anything  between  her  and  Ogilvie  ? 
And  is  she  concealing  it?  And  why?  You  must  know. 
You  are  with  her  constantly.  And  I  can  appeal  to  you  for 
an  honest  answer  and  a  friendly  answer.  You  will  tell  me 
the  truth,  whatever  it  is  ;  and  whatever  it  is,  the  sooner  it  is 
known  the  better.  To  you,  anyway,  I  can  appeal  without 
being  taunted  and  scorned." 

Jess  was  quietly  and  quickly  stirring  up  the  fire,  and  put- 
ting on  the  kettle,  and  getting  out  the  teapot  and  the  like ; 
and  as  she  went  on  with  these  little  preparations — the  object 
of  which  was  in  nowise  perceived  by  the  school-master — she 
said,  in  her  tranquil  way  : 

"  I  would  not  bother  much  about  Ogilvie,  if  I  were  you, 
Allan.  I  don't  suppose  he  means  anything.  He  is  always 
running  after  one  pretty  face  or  another ;  and  there's  safety 
in  numbers.  I  hardly  imagine  he  can  mean  anything  serious 
with  regard  to  Barbara.     A  bit  of  amusement,  perhaps — " 

"  Amusement  ?"  he  repeated,  vehemently.  "  Amusement 
that  may  wreck  her  peace  of  mind — that  may  ruin  her  life  ? 
If  that  is  the  state  of  affairs,  it  is  time  for  one  of  us  to  step 
in  ;  and  whether  I  have  the  right  or  not,  I  will  assume  the 
right.  She  shall  not  be  left  defenceless,  simply  through  her 
ignorance.  And  perhaps,"  he  said,  "  perhaps  you,  too,  will 
tell  me  it  is  none  of  my  business — " 

"  I  don't  think,  Allan,  you  ever  found  me  blaming  you  for 
anything,"  Jess  made  answer ;  she  was  putting  a  white  cloth 
over  the  little  table. 

"  Jess,  I  beg  your  pardon  !"  he  said,  with  instant  remorse. 
"If  I  have  one  friend,  it's  you.  I  am  always  safe  in  coming  to 
you.  But  I  am  all  at  sixes  and  sevens;  worried  and  harassed; 
unable  to  understand  what  is  happening  around  me.  I  wonder 
if  you  know  how  other  people  must  envy  you  your  quiet  and 
peaceful  life — how  you  make  one  wish  to  be  rid  forever  of 
maddening  hopes  and  aims  ?  It  must  be  so  fine  to  be  con- 
tentedly happy — to  be  without  a  care." 
9* 


202  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Without  a  care,"  murmured  Jess,  almost  to  herself.  "  Aye, 
just  that,  Allan.  Without  a  care.  You  may  well  say  that. 
AVithout  a  care."  Her  back  was  towards  him,  for  she  was 
about  to  fetch  down  a  cruet-stand  from  the  cupboard  ;  so 
that  unobserved  she  managed  to  brush  away  a  tear  or  two 
that  had  started  to  her  lashes.  Then  she  turned.  "  Nowr, 
Allan,"  said  she,  cheerfully,  "  sit  down  at  once.  It's  but 
little  we  keep  over  here;  ouly  you  can't  go  along  to  the  school 
without  a  mouthful  by  way  of  breakfast." 

He  would  have  refused,  but  she  insisted ;  and  eventually, 
out  of  mere  gratitude,  he  was  forced  to  sit  down. 

"  I  looked  in  at  the  Drill  Hall,"  he  said,  slowly  and  in 
sombre  fashion  —  and  small  was  the  heed  he  paid  to  these 
things  before  him,  though  Jess  stood  by  him  waiting  upon 
him,  as  if  he  were  an  infant.  "  I  saw  Barbara — she  was  dan- 
cing with  Ogilvie." 

"  Well,  now,"  observed  Jess,  with  much  blithencss  of 
manner,  "  is  it  not  surprising  that  she  should  have  learnt  to 
dance  so  well,  away  out  in  such  a  place  as  Kilrcc !  And  no 
one  suspecting  it  cither.  But  that  is  the  strange  thing  about 
Barbara;  if  you  do  not  find  out  for  yourself,  she  will  never 
tell  you—" 

"Aye,  have  you  discovered  that?"  he  said,  glancing  tow- 
ards her  quickly.  "  Have  you  discovered  that,  too  ?"  And 
then  he  continued  —  it  was  a  relief  to  talk  :  "  Do  you  know 
that  sometimes  she  seems  to  me  altogether  an  enigma;  I  can- 
nut  make  her  out;  it  is  as  if  she  had  depths  of  character 
that  no  one  around  her  understands  as  yet.  And  then  again 
these  appear  to  me  mere  formless  and  vacant  scapes  —  the 
vacant  spaces  of  youth,  that  time  and  experience  will  fill  up. 
Besides,  her  natural  shyness  has  to  be  taken  into  account — a 
shyness  only  to  be  expected  in  one  brought  up  in  that  solitary 
island,  and  then  coming  among  strangers — " 

"I   am    sure,"  said   Jess,    "mother  and   I   do  nut   wish  her 

to  regard  us  as  strangers — far  indeed  from  that  ;  hut  I  think 

she   hides    herself   from    us  as  niueh  as  from  others  J   and  ><( 
course  when  anyone  prefers  to  keep  their  own  counsel,  it 

would   only   he   i  inpel't  i  neliee  to  press  questions." 

"Then  Barbara  has  said  nothing  to  you  about  Ogilvie?"  he 
a   ked,  of  a  sudden. 


ON    THE    VERGE  203 

"  Not  a  word,"  was  the  definite  answer.  "  Not  a  word — 
and  until  she  offers  us  her  confidence,  we  are  not  likely  to 
make  ourselves  intrusive.  If  Barbara  wishes  to  keep  her  own 
secrets,  she  is  welcome." 

He  had  pushed  away  his  plate.  His  hands  were  resting 
on  his  knees ;  his  eyes  were  downcast,  in  profound  medita- 
tion. 

"  She  is  a  strange  creature,"  said  he.  "  I  had  done  nothing 
to  anger  her.  Well,  yes ;  perhaps  she  was  in  the  right  in  re- 
senting my  interference.  AVhen  I  warned  her  —  when  I  pre- 
sumed to  warn  her — perhaps  it  was  only  her  maidenly  pride 
that  retorted.  As  you  say,  when  she  chooses  to  keep  silent, 
that  may  be  merely  her  natural  habit ;  and  of  course  she 
would  be  indignant  on  being  pressed  with  questions.  It's 
quite  wonderful,  Jessie,  how  you  find  excuses  for  people  ; 
how  you  seek  for  the  best  that  is  in  them  ;  your  disposition 
is  so  good-natured ;  you  want  the  world  to  go  easily  with 
every  one.  And  indeed,  whenever  I  have  to  talk  with  you,  it 
does  seem  as  if  things  were  more  hopeful,  as  if  troubles  and 
difficulties  could  be  overcome ;  and  you  must  never  think 
that  I  am  not  grateful  to  you  because  I  am  a  bad  hand  at 
making  pretty  speeches.  You  must  just  understand.  When 
you  meet  a  human  being  who  seems  to  have  the  faculty  of 
reconciling  you  to  the  harsh  terms  of  existence,  it  is  a  mar- 
vellous kind  of  thing,  and  you  ought  to  be  grateful — but  per- 
haps you  have  not  quite  got  the  knack  of  saying  so — " 

"  Enough,  enough,  Allan,"  said  Jess — her  face  burning 
with  pleasure ;  for  when  had  she  received  such  praise  from 
him  before  ? 

Then  he  got  to  his  feet. 

"  I  must  along  to  the  school  now,  Jessie,"  said  he. 

"And  do  not  put  yourself  out  about  the  purser,"  she  ob- 
served to  him,  as  her  parting  word.  "  He  has  too  many 
strings  to  his  bow.  And  besides,  I  have  heard  him  say  that 
he  wanted  to  leave  this  place  altogether.  Surely,  Barbara 
must  have  too  much  sense  to  attach  herself  to  a  sailor-lad 
that  may  be  off  to  the  West  Indies  to-morrow.  And  if  you 
and  she  have  had  a  quarrel,  you'll  just  have  to  set  to  work  to 
make  it  up  again." 

He  went  away  much  lighter  of  heart  because  of  her  sisterly 


204  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

kindness  and  wise  talk ;  but  his  temperament  was  brooding 
rather  than  sanguine ;  and  during  the  long  school  hours  of 
mechanical  and  ungrateful  toil,  his  thoughts  would  go  back 
to  the  position  in  which  he  had  been  placed  by  Barbara's 
disdainful  challenge.  "If  you  want  any  explanations— if  you 
think  you  have  been  injured,"  she  had  practically  said,  "go 
to  Ogilvie ;  he  will  answer  you,  he  will  answer  for  us  both." 
It  was  scornful  advice,  but  it  fitted  in  only  too  readily  with 
his  own  humor.  He  had  not  got  that  underjaw  for  nothing ; 
and  the  longer  that  the  lined  and  knit  brows  pondered  over 
the  problem  now  before  him,  the  more  definite  became  his  re- 
solve that  Ogilvie  should  not  go  on  his  way  without  one 
word  of  question,  perhaps  even  of  menace.  For  the  moment, 
indeed,  that  was  impossible  ;  on  the  day  following  the  con- 
cert and  dance,  the  Aros  Castle,  her  steam -tubes  mended, 
sailed  for  Loch  Sunart. 

But,  as  it  chanced,  on  the  very  afternoon  of  her  return, 
the  school-master  caught  sight  of  Jack  Ogilvie,  who  was  ap- 
parently leaving  the  outskirts  of  the  town  for  a  stroll ;  and 
in  an  instant  all  Jess's  persuasive  and  kindly  counsels  had 
vanished  from  his  mind ;  he  saw  in  the  distance  only  the 
man  who  had,  from  vanity  or  devilment  or  mere  thoughtless 
disregard  of  consequences,  been  leading  an  inexperienced  girl 
astray,  and  alienating  her  from  her  nearest  friends.  Without 
any  very  clear  intention  he  followed.  By  the  lodge -gate 
Ogilvie  passed  into  the  grounds  surrounding  the  ruins  of 
Duntroonc  Castle :  these  arc  thrown  open  to  the  public  on 
certain  days  of  the  week;  but  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
when  there  were  no  tourists  abroad,  the  place  was  quite  de- 
serted ;  and  in  point  of  fact  the  purser  continued  on  his  way 
through  the  woods  without  meeting  a  human  being,  whether 
or  not  he  may  have  been  aware  that  some  one  was  behind 
him.  In  due  course  of  time  he  came  in  sight  of  the  sea 
again,  and  of  the  castle  hill,  with  the  ivied  ruins  lofty  and 
dark  against  the  west,  lie  skirted  a  small  hay,  went  along 
an  avenue  of  elms,  and  began  to  ascend  a  steep  slope.  And 
.■ill  this  lime  Henderson  was  in  his  wake;  the  Bchool-master 
knowing  qoI  whal  i<>  think  or  what  to  do,  so  diverse  were  the 
doubts  and  impulses  that  occupied  his  hniin.  But  momenta- 
rily the  expression  of  his  face  was  growing  darker. 


ON    THE    VERGE  205 

Of  course  lie  could  not  always  maintain  this  equal  distance 
between  himself  and  his  enemy,  for  the  purser,  having  reached 
the  summit  of  the  hill,  stopped  short,  and  began  to  look 
around  him — at  the  wide  panorama,  stretching  from  Arden- 
caple  in  the  south  to  Morven  and  Kingairloch  in  the  north.  It 
was  towards  the  close  of  the  clay ;  there  was  a  steely  light  in 
the  breaks  of  the  clouded  sky,  and  a  metallic  gleam  on  the 
restlessly  lapping  water ;  but  over  Mull  way  there  were  great 
masses  of  soft  rain-cloud  slowly  advancing,  that  threatened 
to  blot  out  the  livid  glare  and  bring  on  premature  night. 
And  seemingly  Ogilvie  had  no  intention  of  remaining  on  this 
solitary  eminence ;  having  walked  to  the  edge  of  the  plateau 
and  glanced  downward  and  around,  he  idly  turned  to  come 
away  again ;  and  then  it  was  that  he  found  himself  face  to 
face  with  Allan  Henderson. 

For  a  second  the  two  men  regarded  each  other ;  and  in- 
stinctively no  phrase  of  greeting  was  passed. 

"  I  am  glad  to  have  the  chance  of  a  word  with  you  alone," 
the  school-master  said,  after  this  momentary  silence. 

"  You  need  not  have  come  so  far,"  said  the  purser,  who 
began  to  guess  that  his  footsteps  had  been  dogged. 

"  I  was  considering  what  I  ought  to  say,"  Henderson  pro- 
ceeded, apparently  determined  to  keep  a  firm  hold  over  him- 
self. 

"  And  have  you  considered  ? — for  it  is  about  time  for  me 
to  be  getting  home,"  Ogilvie  made  answer.  Not  a  syllable 
had  been  uttered  that  could  cause  offence  to  either ;  but  al- 
ready the  two  men  were  in  open  antagonism. 

"  It  is  about  Barbara  Maclean — " 

"  Oh,  indeed  !" 

"  And  I  have  a  question  to  ask  of  you — " 

"  Suppose  I  don't  choose  to  answer  it." 

"  I  will  make  you  answer  it." 

"  Making  ?     Making  ?     That  is  easily  said  !" 

The  school-master  was  breathing  a  little  more  hardly ;  that 
was  all.  Ogilvie  had  assumed  a  certain  jaunty  indifference 
of  air. 

"You've  got  to  tell  me  what  you  mean,"  Allan  went  on — 
with  the  dark  eyes  beginning  to  flame. 

"  Mean  by  what  ?"  said  the  other,  scornfully. 


200  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Well  enough  you  know  !  And  don't  you  think  I  am 
going  to  stand  by  and  let  you  make  a  plaything  of  a  girl 
like  that,  who  does  not  know  what  all  this  nonsense  may 
lead  to.  For  I  suppose  it  is  nonsense.  I  do  not  imagine 
that  a  fine  gentleman  like  you  could  have  any  serious  inten- 
tions— " 

"  And  who  made  it  your  business  to  interfere  ?"  the  purser 
said,  defiantly. 

"  I  have  made  it  my  business  ;  and  I  mean  to  make  it  my 
business,"  was  the  stern  rejoinder.  "  If  you  have  no  regard 
for  the  good  name  of  the  girl,  it  is  for  others  to  see  that  she  is 
warned,  and  that  you  are  checked — " 

"  A  rare  fuss  to  make  about  nothing  !"  Ogilvie  interjected 
again.  "  Why,  any  one  can  call  in  at  a  tobacconist's  shop 
who  has  the  price  of  an  ounce  of  bird's-eye." 

"Does  the  price  of  an  ounce  of  bird's-eye  entitle  you  to  sit 
in  the  parlor — or  make  assignations  ?" 

"  Oh,  I'm  sick  of  this  rubbish  !"  the  purser  exclaimed — and 
he  made  as  if  he  would  pass.  But  Henderson  planted  himself 
in  front  of  him. 

"  No,  you  are  not  going  yet.  You  are  not  going  until  you 
have  given  me  explanations  and  made  me  certain  promises. 
But  how  could  I  believe  your  promises — the  promises  of  a 
miserable  hound  like  you,  that  would  lead  a  thoughtless  girl 
into  a  compromising  situation  !  What  were  she  and  you 
doing  at  Cowal  Ferry?"  he  demanded,  with  increasing  vehe- 
mence. "You  considered  it  fine,  I  suppose,  to  have  the  story 
told  about  you!  You  considered  it  a  joke,  I  suppose,  that 
her  good  name  should  be  put  in  peril — that  she  should  be- 
come a  byword — " 

"You  lie!" 

The  words  were  hardly  out  of  his  mouth  when  the  scliool- 
master  had  hurled  himself  upon  him  and  seized  him  by  the 
throat;  and  so  sudden  and  so  violent  was  the  onset  that  both 
men  rolled  to  the  ground,  the  purser  writhing  and  straggling 
to  free  himself  from  this  wild-cat,  grip,  Henderson  striving  to 

pinion  him  to  the  earth.    Ogilvie  was  no  donbt  the  bulkier  of 

the  two;  hut  the  school-master's  muscles  were  of  iron,  while 
hate  and  jealousy  combined  lent  him  B  yet  fiercer  strength; 
so  that  it  was  in  vain  that  the  undermost  of  the  adversaries 


ON    THE    VERGE  207 

fought  and  tore  and  flung  .himself  this  way  and  that  in  trying 
to  liberate  himself  from  this  merciless  grasp.  And  then  some- 
thing happened  to  Allan  Henderson.  In  their  savage  wrest- 
ling they  had  unwittingly  approached  the  edge  of  the  precip- 
itous cliff ;  and  of  a  sudden  it  chanced  that  the  school-master 
caught  sight  of  a  dull  red  patch,  far  below  him,  in  the  old  gar- 
den lying  between  the  castle  rock  and  the  sea.  It  was  proba- 
bly a  patch  of  withered  herbage  ;  but  with  a  startling  vivid- 
ness it  recalled  to  him  what  he  had  seen  one  day  when  in  the 
company  of  a  game-keeper  friend — a  wounded  roe-deer  having 
rolled  over  and  down  into  a  deep  chasm,  where  it  lay  motion- 
less, and  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  a  heap  of  rusted 
bracken.  And  at  this  same  instant  it  flashed  through  his 
brain  that  the  man  whose  very  life  he  now  held  in  pawn 
might  in  another  moment  be  lying  away  down  there,  without 
movement,  an  inanimate,  indistinguishable  thing,  a  horror  to 
the  eyes.     He  relaxed  his  grip. 

"  Come  back,"  he  said,  hoarsely.  "  There  shall  be  no  mur- 
der." 

And  it  was  not  until  he  was  released  that  Jack  Ogilvie  per- 
ceived how  near  he  had  been  to  his  doom.  Thoroughly  cowed 
— without  a  solitary  word  of  threatening  or  bravado — he  re- 
treated from  that  ghastly  verge,  and  shook  his  clothes  straight, 
and  departed  down  the  hill,  disappearing  among  the  trees. 
After  a  while,  amid  the  gathering  dusk,  the  school-master  fol- 
lowed. As  he  slowly  made  his  way  back  to  the  town,  an 
orange  spot  here  and  there  told  of  a  lighted  window  and  the 
coming  night.  And  it  may  have  seemed  to  him,  in  his  som- 
bre reverie,  that  it  was  more  easy  to  seize  an  enemy,  and  pin 
him  by  the  throat,  and  hold  the  power  of  life  and  death  over 
him — it  was  more  easy  to  do  that  than  to  win  a  single  friend- 
ly look  from  a  woman  whose  heart  had  wandered  elsewhither. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

PRINCE     BEELZEBUB 

It  was  a  brilliant  morning — the  lulls  all  the  way  from  Mull 
to  Kingairloch  clear  to  the  top — the  sea  a  vivid  and  trem- 
bling blue — the  sunlight  warm  on  the  yellow-green  slopes  of 
Kerrara.  And  the  councillor,  rejoicing  in  the  sweet  air  and 
in  the  proud  consciousness  of  manly  vigor,  was  gayly  humming 
to  himself : 

"  '  If  you  on  my  dear  one  should  gaze,  should  gaze, 
If  you  were  to  hear  what  she  says,  she  says, 
If  you  heard  my  pretty 
One  singing  her  ditty, 
Your  bosom  would  get  in  a  blaze,  a  blaze.'1 " 

Nevertheless,  he  had  business  on  hand,  for  he  carried  a 
small  parcel  tucked  under  his  elbow ;  and  in  due  course  he 
left  the  harbor-front,  and  passed  along  a  side  street,  until  he 
came  to  Long  Lauchie's  shop,  which  he  entered.  Maclntyre 
looked  up  from  his  work,  the  sallow  face  more  sunken  and 
melancholy  than  ever. 

"Good -morning,  friend  Lauchlan,"  said  the  councillor, 
blithely,  as  he  undid  the  parcel,  producing  a  pair  of  dancing- 
slices.  "  I've  a  bit  job  here  I  wish  ye'd  do  for  inc.  The  fact 
is,  once  or  twice  lately,  when  I've  been  at  a  little  merry-mak- 
ing, the  next  day  I've  noticed  my  toes  hurt  me  round  the  out- 
side— not  that  it's  gout  or  anything  of  that  sort — for  I'm  a  very 
moderate  drinker — though  the  doctor  says  I  might  as  well  give 
up  beer — " 

'•  Beer,"  observed  Lauehlan,  sadly  shaking  his  head,  "beer 
is  a  mocker.  And  moderate  drinking,  Mr.  McFadyen,  that's 
the   worst    of   any.      That's    the  fatal  thing.      Look  at   the  in-. 

Burance  companies— look  at  the  percentage  in  favor  of  tho 

total  abstainer — " 


PRINCE    BEELZEBUB  209 

" Ob,  hang  your  insurance  companies!"  cried  the  councillor. 
"  Listen  to  me,  now.  I've  been  thinking  you  could  make  a 
bit  slit  along  the  side — close  to  the  sole — and  it  would  not  be 
seen  if  I  wore  black  stockings.  Do  you  understand  ?  A  little 
bit  easement,  as  it  were;  for  I'm  just  desperate  disinclined  to 
get  a  new  pair — a  new  pair  of  shoes  is  torture  to  me  for 
montbs.  Do  ye  understand,  Lauchlan — a  slit  that  will  not  be 
seen — " 

"Ob  yes,  yes,"  said  Long  Lauchie.  He  examined  the  shoes, 
and  carelessly  put  them  aside  :  it  was  not  a  paying  job.  Then 
he  rose,  and  as  bis  visitor  was  leaving,  Lauchie  accompanied 
him  out  to  the  front. 

"  It's  fine  weather,"  remarked  the  shoemaker,  as  he  glanced 
up  and  down  the  pavement. 

But  of  a  sudden  his  countenance  underwent  an  extraordinary 
change.  Amazement  first,  then  terror — abject  terror — was  in 
his  eyes. 

"  God  help  us,"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  instantly  slunk  back 
into  the  entry,  "  there's  that  woman  !  Mr.  McFadyen,  tell  her 
I'm  dead ! — tell  her  I'm  not  living  here  any  more."  And 
with  that  he  vanished,  leaving  the  councillor  not  a  little  be- 
wildered. 

There  now  appeared  on  the  scene  a  woman  rather  short  of 
figure,  with  sharp  and  angular  features,  sandy  hair,  and  vin- 
dictive gray  eyes. 

"  Was  that  him  ?  Did  I  see  him  ?"  she  demanded  of  the 
astonished  McFadyen  ;  but  she  did  not  wait  for  an  answer ; 
she  whisked  by  him,  and  went  straight  into  the  cobbler's 
shop,  which  was  apparently  empty.  "  AVhere  are  you,  you 
scoundrel !"  she  called  aloud — looking  round  at  the  vacant 
spaces.  "  I'm  for  seeing  ye  face  to  face  this  time  !  No  more 
banishment  for  me,  and  living  on  friends,  when  there's  a 
drunken  vagabond  should  be  supporting  me !" 

The  councillor  had  followed  her — she  was  partly  addressing 
him. 

"  I've  heard  of  his  goings-on  !"  she  cried.  "  I've  heard  of 
his  practices !  But  I'll  see  to  it  that  there's  no  woman  com- 
ing about  this  house — a  decent,  respectable  house  it  was  until 
I  was  forced  to  leave  it  by  that  drinking  ne'er-do-weel.  And 
just  let  me  find  the  hussy ;  my  word,  I'll  put  my  ten  com- 


210  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

mandments  on  her,  that  will  I !  And  where  is  he  ? — where  is 
he  ? — let  me  get  at  him  now  !" 

She  marched  along  the  passage ;  with  swift  and  bodeful 
steps  she  ascended  the  staircase ;  she  flung  open  the  door. 
But  apparently  the  shoemaker's  apartments,  which  consisted 
of  a  kitchen  and  bedroom,  were  tenantless. 

"  Where  are  you,  you  scoundrel !"  she  called  again,  in 
menacing  tones.  "  Let  me  see  ye  ! — let  my  ten  nails  get  at 
ye  !" 

"  My  good  woman,"  the  councillor  protested,  "  this  is  en- 
tirely reprehensible  !  If  you  have  a  complaint  to  make,  let  it 
be  done  in  order.  There's  law  and  civilized  custom  in  this 
town—" 

"  Aye,  would  ye  defend  him,  you  old  reprobate  ?"  she  re- 
torted, furiously.  "  Ye're  as  bad  as  he  is,  I  can  see  by  your 
looks !  Blackguards  both  o'  ye,  that's  what  ye  are  ! — But 
ye'll  not  hinder  me  !" 

From  the  empty  kitchen  she  swept  into  the  empty  bed- 
room ;  and  there  the  first  object  that  appeared  to  attract  her 
attention  and  her  wrath  was  a  small  mirror  standing  on  the 
top  of  a  chest  of  drawers. 

"Aye,"  she  exclaimed,  "  and  has  she  been  decking  herself 
in  front  of  my  glass,  the  brazen  trollop?  But  she'll  deck  her- 
self at  my  glass  no  more  !"  She  lifted  a  cane-bottomed  chair, 
and  with  one  drive  sent  the  mirror,  glass  and  wood-work  and 
all,  into  a  hundred  fragments.  "And  looking  at  my  pictures 
too?"  the  virago  screamed  in  her  rage;  and  this  time  the  legs 
of  the  cane-bottomed  chair  went  crashing  through  a  framed 
and  glazed  colored  print  of  St.  John  the  Baptist.  "  And  my 
ewer — and  my  soap-dish — and  my  tumbler — "  The  work  of 
devastation  proceeded  apace  ;  the  noise  was  like  the  falling  of 
tenements  during  an  earthquake  ;  until  at  length,  when  noth- 
ing breakable  had  been  left,  the  shoemaker's  wife  put  down 
the  chair  in  the  midst  of  the  ruins,  and  seated  herself  on  it,  a 
smile  of  pitiless  triumph  on  her  face. 

"  Lei  her  come  now  ["  she  said,  with  cruel  irony.  "  bet  her 
Come  ami  take  possession!  Maybe  she'll  (leek  herself  at  my 
<dass,  and  be  keeking  Into  my  press,  and  thinking  thai  I'm 
going  to  stop  at  |',,il  William  for  ever  and  ever,  and  let,  him 
and    her  and    their  line  ji^maleeries  pass  by   without   a  word! 


PRINCE     ISEELZEBUB  211 

But  maybe  she'll  not  find  it  so  easy  now  to  put  on  her  ribbons 
in  front  of  my  glass — " 

"  Really — really,"  said  the  councillor — who  for  prudential 
reasons  had  remained  at  the  door — "  really — if  you  are  Mrs. 
Maclntyre — " 

"  If  I  am  Mrs.  Maclntyre  ?"  she  cried,  her  small  gray  eyes 
glittering  with  anger.  "  Who  am  I,  then,  if  I  am  not  Mrs. 
Maclntyre  ?  AVhat  do  you  take  me  for  ?  Do  ye  think  I  am 
one  of  the  low  creatures  you  and  he  consort  wi'  ?  Away  with 
ye  about  your  business,  you  old  profligate  !  Here  I  am  ;  and 
here  I  sit ;  until  that  man  comes  home." 

But  at  this  point  she  seemed  to  change  her  mind.  She  rose, 
seized  the  chair,  and  advanced  to  the  door ;  and  when  the 
councillor — only  too  ready  to  give  her  a  wide  berth — had 
made  way  for  her  on  the  landing,  she  proceeded  down  the 
staircase  and  took  up  a  position  in  the  entry. 

"  Let  him  try  to  get  into  either  shop  or  bouse,"  said  she,  as 
she  planted  herself  again  on  the  chair.  "  I'm  ready  for  him. 
I've  had  enough  of  living  upon  friends,  and  him  spending 
every  penny  in  the  public-houses — " 

"  Really,  Mrs.  Maclntyre,"  said  the  councillor,  as  he  sidled 
past  her  in  order  to  have  free  access  to  the  street,  "  if  you 
consider  yourself  injured,  this  is  not  the  proper  manner — " 

"  Away  with  ye,  ye  wicked  old  wretch  !"  she  broke  in,  scorn- 
fully. "  You're  worse  than  he  is — you're  a  hundred  times 
worse  than  he  is,  or  you  wouldna  be  making  excuses  for  him. 
But  you  need  not  come  with  your  excuses  to  me.  What  I 
want  is  Lauchlan  Maclntyre  ;  and  face  to  face  will  I  have  him 
before  me,  if  I  wait  here  till  the  Judgment-day.  Here  I  am  ; 
and  here  I  sit ;  if  he  has  anything  to  say  to  me,  I  am  ready 
for  him." 

Confronted  by  this  implacable  resolution,  the  councillor 
found  himself  helpless  ;  but  indeed  he  did  not  feel  called 
upon  to  interfere  further,  for  he  was  no  particular  friend  of 
the  shoemaker's.  Accordingly,  and  not  unwillingly,  he  took 
his  leave — reflecting  that  married  life  appeared  occasionally 
to  have  its  drawbacks,  and  wondering  by  what  mysterious 
means  Long  Lauchie  had  managed  to  escape. 

But  at  this  precise  moment  Long  Lauchie  had  not  yet 
escaped ;  he  was  only  on  the  point  of  escaping.     It  was  not 


212  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

until  the  wild  commotion  of  the  furniture-breaking  had  sub- 
sided— it  was  not  until  peace  once  more  reigned  in  the  demol- 
ished room — that  a  black  head  and  yellow  visage  were  slow- 
ly and  cautiously  protruded  from  under  the  counterpane  of  the 
bed.  A  careful  look  round — and  the  prone  figure  of  the  shoe- 
maker followed.  As  Lauchie  rose  to  his  feet,  the  last  rum- 
blings of  the  storm  were  still  audible  below ;  for  he  could  hear 
his  injured  wife  announcing  to  the  councillor  her  determina- 
tion to  remain  a  fixture  ;  but  here,  in  this  little  room,  a  painful 
stillness  prevailed  ;  the  tornado  had  expended  itself,  leaving 
behind  it  nothing  hut  wreckage  and  ruin.  Lauchlan  did  not 
stay  to  contemplate  this  lamentable  spectacle.  For  a  moment 
or  two  he  listened  intently ;  then  on  tiptoe  and  stealthily  he 
crossed  over  to  the  window ;  he  listened  again  ;  and  present- 
ly, and  with  the  greatest  wariness,  he  began  to  raise  the  lower 
sash.  One  inch — two  inches — and  there  was  no  creaking.  A 
few  inches  further — and  there  was  room  for  him  to  put  out 
his  head  and  reconnoitre :  he  perceived  that  with  the  aid  of  a 
rain-water  barrel  it  was  possible  for  him  to  reach  the  ground. 
So  again  he  raised  the  window  a  few  inches,  and  this  also  was 
accomplished  in  blessed  silence  ;  he  put  one  leg  over  the  sill ; 
its  fellow  followed  ;  then  the  long,  lank  body  ;  in  a  second  or 
so  Lauchlan's  feet  were  resting  on  the  solid  wooden  covering 
of  the  water-butt.  From  thence  he  dropped  into  the  yard  ; 
he  scrambled  over  the  stone-wall ;  he  pursued  his  way  swiftly 
along  the  lane  until  he  gained  a  side  street ;  and  there  hi'  found 
safe  haven  in  a  public-house  with  which  he  seemed  to  be  familiar. 

"A  glass  of  whiskey,  Mr.  Pattison,"  he  gasped — for  these 
unwonted  exertions  had  rendered  him  breathless. 

"But  what  have  ye  done  with  your  hat,  Mr.  Maclntyrc  ?" 
said  the  publican,  as  he  proceeded  to  get  the  cordial. 

Then  Lauchlan  remembered  that  he  had  nothing  on  his 
bead  save  its  natural  covering. 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  uneasily,  "  the — the  wind  blew  it  away.  Bn1 
I'm  sure  you'll  be  lending  me  one,  Mr.  Pattison,  until  I  get 
home." 

Ami   then   it   sadly  occurred  to  him  that   for  him  there  was 

no  returning  borne  while  that  fearful  being  barred  the  way  ; 
and  in  liis  perplexity  and  helplessness  he  resolved  upon  con- 
fessing the  truth  to  Mr.  Pattison. 


PRINCE   BEELZEBUB  213 

"  No,"  said  lie,  "  I  will  not  tell  you  any  lies.  And  the  fact 
is,  Mr.  Pattison,  that  I  have  ran  aweh  from  the  house,  for  my 
wife  is  there,  and  raging  like  a  she-duvvle,  and  ahl  the  furni- 
ture brokken,  and  I  do  not  know  what  more  she  would  be  do- 
ing if  I  went  back." 

"  Well,  that  is  a  pretty  pass  !"  said  the  sympathizing  publi- 
can. "  Ye'll  have  to  take  Sandy  the  policeman  with  ye,  and 
drive  her  out." 

"  Sandy  ? — the  lad  Sandy  ?"  remonstrated  the  shoemaker,  in 
accents  of  reproach.  "The  poor  lad!  —  could  I  ask  him  to 
face  a  raging  teeger  like  that?" 

"  And  what  will  you  do,  then  ?"  was  the  next  question. 

"  Aye,  that  is  what  I  am  not  knowing  myself,"  answered 
Lauchlan,  with  something  of  a  melancholy  air ;  and  there- 
upon, having  borrowed  a  hat  from  Mr.  Pattison,  he  set  out 
once  more  on  his  travels. 

Now  it  happened  during  his  subsequent  wanderings  from 
one  howff  to  another  that  the  homeless  shoemaker  encoun- 
tered Niall  Gorach ;  and  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  could  not 
do  better  than  engage  the  half-witted  youth  to  go  and  pry 
about  and  discover  whether  Mrs.  Maclntyre  had  as  yet  taken 
it  into  her  head  to  vacate  the  premises.  When  Niall  had 
been  got  to  understand  what  was  wanted,  he  went  off  ;  but  on 
his  return  his  report  was  discouraging :  the  "  wumman  "  was 
still  in  the  entry  seated  on  a  chair.  The  disconsolate  shoe- 
maker now  took  Niall  with  him  as  the  only  companion  that 
was  available ;  and  as  a  few  glasses  of  whiskey,  taken  at  va- 
rious points  and  stages,  had  made  him  communicative,  not  to 
say  amiably  garrulous,  he  described  to  the  lad  the  unhappy 
predicament  in  which  be  was  placed. 

"  It  is  I  that  could  drive  her  out  of  the  house,"  said  Niall, 
in  a  darkly  meditative  manner.     He  spoke  in  Gaelic. 

"  You  ?"  rejoined  the  shoemaker  in  the  same  tongue,  and 
he  was  laughing  now  and  very  merry.  "  Oh  yes,  it  is  your 
head  that  has  the  sense  in  it,  and  no  mistake !  And  do  you 
know  what  she  would  do  to  you,  my  fine  boy  ? — she  would 
eat  you  at  a  mouthful !  Oh  yes,  you  are  the  grand  one  to 
drive  her  out  of  the  house  ! — " 

"  What  will  you  give  me  ? — will  you  give  me  a  sixpence  ?" 
said  Niall,  paying  no  heed  to  his  playful  irony. 


214  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  But  before  I  give  you  a  sixpence,  or  the  half  of  a  six- 
pence, "  said  the  shoemaker,  with  contemptuous  mirth,  "may- 
be you  would  be  for  telling  me  how  you  are  going  near  her? 
Niall,  my  tine  lad,  you  do  not  know  what  that  kind  of  a  wom- 
an is,  or  twenty  hundred  sixpences  would  be  no  temptation 
for  you — " 

"  As  soon  as  it  is  dark,"  said  Niall  Gorach,  doggedly,  "  it 
is  I  that  could  drive  her  out,  if  there  is  a  back  way  into  the 
house." 

"And  how  would  you  do  it,  my  noble  hero  —  how  would 
you  do  it?"  he  asked  —  but  he  was  fumbling  about  in  his 
pocket  for  a  match. 

"I  would  show  her  the  prince,"  said  Niall,  with  his  elfin 
eyes  peering  upward  to  his  companion's  face. 

Long  Lauchie  only  laughed  and  giggled  the  more. 

"  It's  little  you  understand,  my  brave  youth,  what  kind  of 
a  woman  that  is.  Aw,  Dyeea,  she  would  eat  you  at  a  mouth- 
ful!  Do  you  think  I  would  allow  it? — no,  not  if  Sandy  the 
policeman  went  with  you — " 

"  Will  you  give  me  the  sixpence  ?"  said  Niall ;  and  then  he 
added,  in  a  mysterious  whisper :  "  I  would  show  her  Prince 
Beelzebub;  and  anyone  that  is  seeing  him  will  go  mad. 
There  was  a  man  at  Taynuilt  that  struck  me  with  a  whip; 
and  one  night  Prince  Beelzebub  went  to  see  him,  and  he  was 
ill  in  bed  for  more  than  a  week  after  it.  Maybe — well,  maybe 
he  was  not  for  striking  me  with  a  whip  during  that  week." 

The  shoemaker  began  to  show  a  little  mure  attention, 
though  he  was  still  incredulous  and  vaguely  amused. 

"  Now  what  is  the  witch's  cantrip  you  would  be  after,  you 
limb  of  Satan!"  he  exclaimed.  "Well  I  know  there  are 
queer  things  get  into  that  noddle  of  yours ;  but  sure  I  am, 
my  famous  warrior,  that  you  would  make  the  greatest  mis- 
take of  your  life  if  \  on  tried  to  go  near  the  she-devil  that  is 
in  my  house.  Niall, my  son,  1  will  tell  j  on  the  truth, and  this 
is  the  truth — that  when  she  is  in  the  inside  of  the  dwelling, 
the  outside  of  the  dwelling  is  the  best  place." 

Niall  was  still  stealthily  and  eagerly  scrutinizing  his  com- 
panion's  features;  but  the  fact  is  that  Long  Lauchie  seemed 
now  too  vacuously  happy  to  pay  much  beed  to  anything. 
It  was  his  search  after  a  match  that  ehieilv  concerned  him. 


"  THE    NEXT    MOMENT    SHE    HAD    FLED    INTO    THE    OUTER    AIR 


PRINCE    BEELZEBUB  215 

There  even  appeared  some  probability  that  he  would  forget 
all  about  his  wife  being  in  possession  of  his  home. 

"  It  is  not  the  head  of  a  man,"  continued  Niall,  still  "  glow- 
ering" and  watchful,  "  that  Prince  Beelzebub  has  on  him,  but 
it  is  something  more  terrible  than  any  head,  and  there  are 
two  eyes,  and  the  light  is  on  them — " 

"  Oh  yes,  yes,"  said  the  shoemaker,  contemptuously,  "  and 
it  is  a  wise  lad  you  are  to  think  of  frightening  people  with 
a  hollowed  turnip  and  a  candle."  Then  of  a  sudden  some 
idea  seemed  to  strike  him.  "  Niall,"  said  he,  in  an  undertone, 
and  his  bemused  eyes  were  mirthful  now,  "  could  you  give 
that  devil  of  a  woman  a  fearful  fright?  Could  you,  now? 
Is  that  your  intention  ?  For  if  you  do  it  well,  I  will  pay  you 
not  one  sixpence  but  two  sixpences,  and  that  as  sure  as  death. 
Will  you  make  her  jump  ?  Will  you  make  her  spring  out  of 
her  senses  ?  Niall,  you  are  the  son  of  my  heart !  Will  you 
make  her  fly  ?  Will  you  make  her  scream  ?  Aw,  Dyeea,  it 
would  be  worth  a  hundred  pounds  to  see  her  jumping  with 
terror !" 

"  If  there  is  a  back  way  into  the  house,"  said  Niall,  slowly, 
"  the  prince  could  get  at  her — " 

"  There  is — there  is  !"  said  Lauchlan,  in  great  excitement. 
"There  is  the  rain -barrel — and  the  window  I  left  open — 
Niall,  will  you  make  her  jump  ? — will  she  scream  out,  do  you 
think  ? — it  is  I  that  would  be  laughing,  if  I  could  hide  some- 
where on  the  other  side  of  the  street — " 

"  Give  me  one  of  the  sixpences  now,"  said  Niall,  regarding 
him  furtively.  "  Maybe  I  will  have  to  offer  something  to  the 
prince." 

Lauchlan  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket. 

"  And  mind  you  this,  you  imp  of  a  warlock,"  said  he,  "  if 
it  is  lies  you  are  telling  me  I  will  break  every  bone  in  your 
body." 

It  was  some  two  hours  thereafter,  as  the  twilight  was  deep- 
ening into  dark,  that  Niall  Gorach  cautiously  clambered  over 
the  wall  of  Long  Lauchie's  backyard,  and  crossed  to  the  rain- 
barrel,  and  ascended  to  the  open  window.  Between  his  teeth 
he  held  the  end  of  a  piece  of  string ;  and  when  he  had  reached 
the  sill,  and  peered  into  the  room  to  make  sure  no  one  was 
there,  he  noiselessly  hauled  up  after  him  a  bundle  to  which 


210  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

the  cord  was  attached.  The  demolished  apartment  was  now 
shrouded  deep  in  gloom,  and  a  profound  silence  prevailed. 
In  this  ghostly  stillness  Niall  began  to  undo  his  bundle ;  and 
not  a  whisper  of  a  sound  betrayed  his  presence. 

About  ten  minutes  or  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later  there 
emerged  on  to  the  landing  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  ap- 
paritions that  the  sick  brain  of  any  mortal  creature  ever  con- 
ceived. It  was  a  figure  of  more  than  normal  height,  draped 
entirely  in  black,  the  shoulders,  or  what  might  pass  for  shoul- 
ders, square,  the  two  extended  arms  bearing  each  a  lighted 
candle.  But  the  astonishing  and  alarming  feature  of  this 
phenomenon  was  that  instead  of  having  anything  like  a  hu- 
man head  on  its  square  shoulders,  the  head  was  that  of  some 
owl-like  animal;  and  the  two  eyes,  each  in  its  hollow  recess, 
caught  the  light  of  the  candles,  and  seemed  to  burn  with  some 
infernal  riame.  This  hideous  and  ghastly  manifestation  now 
proceeded  to  descend  the  stairway,  not  even  a  rustle  of  the 
black  drapery  giving  notice  of  its  approach;  and  when  within 
two  steps  of  the  foot  it  paused. 

"  Pentateuch  ! — Pentateuch  !"  said  a  mournful  voice. 

There  was  a  woman  sitting  in  the  dusk  of  the  passage.  At 
this  sound  she  turned  her  head  ;  the  next  moment,  with  a  wild 
scream  of  terror,  she  had  sprung  to  her  feet ;  the  next  mo- 
ment, with  shriek  after  shriek — ami  shriek  after  shriek — she 
bad  fled  into  the  outer  air,  and  was  blindly  rushing  down  the 
street  as  if  all  the  fiends  of  pandemonium  were  after  her. 
She  did  not  seem  to  know  whither  she  was  going;  she  wait- 
ed for  no  answer  to  her  piercing  cries;  to  get  away  from 
this  horrible,  unnainahle,  appalling  thing  was  her  only  aim. 
And  meanwhile  Long  bain  lilan  the  shoemaker,  bidden  in 
the  friendly  shelter  of  a  door  over  the  way,  was  slapping 
his   thighs,  and   shaking  and    laughing  with   inextinguishable 

laughter. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 
LA    BELLE    DAME    SANS    MERCI 

On  one  of  these  evenings  Mrs.  Maclean  was  as  usual  in  the 
little  parlor,  seated  in  her  easy -chair,  and  placidly  knitting,  and 
Jess,  at  the  central  table,  was  engaged  with  her  business  ac- 
counts, when  Barbara,  dressed  up  in  all  her  finery,  appeared 
at  the  partially  opened  door.  After  a  single  glance  round  the 
room,  she  seemed  to  hesitate  about  an  excuse  for  withdraw- 
ing again. 

"I  was  just  looking  in — "  she  said. 

"And  finding  nobody,"  suggested  the  little  widow,  with 
sly  sarcasm. 

This  was  something  of  a  challenge  ;  and  Barbara  at  once 
went  into  the  parlor  and  sat  down. 

"  Not  but  that  we're  rather  dull  company,"  the  widow  con- 
tinued, "  for  there's  not  so  many  coming  about  as  there  used 
to  be.  The  lad  Allan  I  can  understand  ;  he  is  busy  with  his 
classes  ;  and  right  glad  am  I  that  he  is  getting  on  so  well. 
But  Ogilvie — what  have  ye  been  doing  to  Johnnie  Ogilvie, 
Barbara?  They  tell  me  he  paid  ye  great  attention  at  the 
ball  of  the  Gaelic  Choir  ;  and  he  used  to  look  in  of  an  even- 
ing pretty  regular ;  but  now  one  hears  or  sees  nothing  of 
him—" 

"And  perhaps  it  is  better  I  should  hear  or  see  nothing  of 
him,"  said  Barbara,  sharply,  "  if  there  is  to  be  such  a  work 
about  my  taking  a  cup  of  tea  at  Cowal  Ferry  !" 

"  I  did  not  know  there  was  any  such  work  made,"  rejoined 
the  widow,  with  her  customary  good-humor,  "though  a  young 
lass  cannot  be  too  careful  about  appearances."  She  looked 
up  from  her  knitting,  and  scanned  the  girl's  costume  for  a 
moment.  "  But  are  ye  sure  you  were  not  expecting  any  one, 
Barbara?  You're  finely  decked  out,  to  be  merely  going  down 
the  town  on  an  errand  or  two.  In  my  young  days  I  would 
10 


218  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

not  have  thought  of  putting  on  a  hat  and  feathers  if  I  was 
only  going  for  a  can  of  mulattoes  to  flavor  the  rice  for  sup- 
per—" 

"  Mother,"  interposed  Jess,  glancing  up  from  her  accounts, 
"  you  may  have  what  you  like  ;  but  rice  flavored  with  mulat- 
toes will  be  no  supper  for  me.     Is  it  molasses  you  mean  i" 

"  Yes,  just  that,"  the  widow  proceeded,  cheerfully.  "And 
has  there  been  a  quarrel  between  you  and  Ogilvie,  Barbara  ? 
And  are  you  thinking  to  fetch  him  back  with  a  hat  and  feath- 
ers ?  Well,  well :  Every  one  must  have  her  own  way  of  man- 
aging her  sweetheart.  When  I  was  young  they  used  to  say 
'  Goat's  milk  and  sweet  violets  to  wash  your  face  with,  and 
there's  not  a  king's  son  in  the  world  but  then  will  be  running 
after  you.' " 

"  Perhaps  I  am  not  wishing  for  any  sweetheart,"  said  Bar- 
bara, sullenly. 

"And  yet,"  observed  Mrs.  Maclean,  her  eyes  demurely  bent 
on  her  work — "  and  yet  you  took  a  present — and  a  very  hand- 
some present — from  Allan  Henderson." 

"Allan  Henderson?"  retorted  Barbara.  "I  do  not  care  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  him  and  his  ill-temper." 

But  at  this  Jess  Maclean  fired  up. 

"  Ill-temper?"  said  she.  "And  what  do  you  mean  by  ill- 
temper  ?  If  to  have  scorn  and  contempt  for  meanness  and 
cunning  and  despicable  things  generally,  if  that  is  to  be  ill- 
tempered,  then  lie  is  ill-tempered,  but  not  in  any  other  way, 
Allan  Henderson  is  a  man  who  has  his  own  opinions,  his  own 
character,  his  own  standards  of  what  is  worth  seeking  for  ; 
lie  is  not  a  mere  copy  and  echo  of  other  people ;  and  if  he 
does  not  strive  to  please,  and  say  pretty  things,  I  respect  him 
all  the  more  for  it.  Striving  to  please! — any  empty-headed 
coxcomb  can  do  that — " 

"  Oh  yes,  you  are  always  on  the  side  of  the  school-master  I" 
Barbara  said,  tauntingly  ;  and  at  that  Jess  Maclean's  fair  and 
freckled  face  became  suffused  with  color,  and  she  was  proudly 
sili  nt.  The  widow  did  not  notice  this  confusion  ;  she  hail  re- 
turned to  the  subject  of  sweethearts;  and  she  was  relating 
tlir  story  of  the  Northern  maiden  whose  lover,  on  the  eve  of 
their  Wedding,  was  drowned  at  sea;  how  the  girl  pined  away 
and  died,  her  last  request  being  thai  she  also  should   have  an 


LA    BELLE    DAME    SANS    MERCI  219 

ocean  grave  ;  how  her  relatives  refused,  preferring  that  she 
should  be  buried  in  the  church-yard  of  a  neighboring  island ; 
how,  on  their  setting  sail,  they  encountered  a  dreadful  storm 
that  they  interpreted  as  a  warning  from  Heaven  ;  and  how, 
when  they  at  length  carried  out  her  wishes  and  consigned 
the  corpse  to  the  deep,  the  phantom  of  her  lover  was  seen  to 
arise  from  the  waves  and  clasp  her  in  his  arms.  It  is  an  old 
and  familiar  tale  that  has  been  told  round  many  a  peat-fire ; 
but  Barbara  had  not  heard  it ;  and  she  listened  to  it  with  the 
entranced  eyes  of  a  child. 

The  narrative  had  hardly  been  finished  when  there  was  a 
tapping  at  the  door,  and  the  next  moment  the  tall  and  spare 
form  of  the  young  school-master  appeared.  He  looked  star- 
tled, almost  dismayed,  when  he  perceived  that  Barbara  was 
seated  there  ;  but  no  escape  was  possible  for  him ;  for  in  an 
instant  the  little  widow  had  dashed  aside  her  work,  and  ran 
to  him,  and  caught  him  by  one  hand,  while  with  the  other, 
as  she  dragged  him  into  the  room,  she  patted  him  affection- 
ately on  the  shoulder. 

"  Welcome  indeed  to  the  hearth,  as  they  say  in  the  Gaelic," 
she  cried.  "Allan,  my  lad,  I  never  see  you  but  I  feel  that 
blood  is  thicker  than  water ;  and  it  is  only  a  few  minutes  ago 
I  was  talking  of  your  absence  ;  though  some  would  say  I 
should  not  complain  since  it  is  plenty  of  work  that  has  been 
keeping  you  away.  And  here  is  your  own  chair,  that  always 
looks  empty  when  you  are  not  here  ;  and  you  will  light  your 
pipe  now,  and  give  us  your  news  ;  for  though  Jessie  is  always 
telling  us  of  the  great  things  you  are  doing  and  going  to  do, 
sure  I  am  you  will  not  show  yourself  proud  and  forgetful  of 
your  own  people.  And  I  hope  the  classes  are  getting  bigger 
and  bigger,  and  the  boys  keeping  obedient — " 

"  Oh  yes,"  said  Jess,  with  a  laugh.  "Allan  is  a  fine  one  to 
be  teaching  those  young  lads  the  humanities  !  It  is  much 
of  the  humanities  they  are  likely  to  learn  !  I  know  the  hu- 
manities they  are  likely  to  have  set  before  them — impatience 
and  browbeating  and  contempt  of  the  whole  of  the  rest  of 
the  civilized  world — " 

"  You've  never  a  good  word  for  me,  Jessie,"  said  he,  as  he 
took  his  seat. 

"And  that's  true  —  that's  true!"   interposed   her  mother, 


220  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

quickly.  "  She  never  has  a  good  word  for  you — before  your 
face,  Allan  ;  but  behind  your  back — you  should  just  hear 
her !  Behind  your  back — that's  another  story  !  Was  it  ten 
minutes  since,  was  it  as  much  as  ten  minutes  since  she  was 
defending-  you,  and  praising  you,  and  telling  us  how  you  were 
different  from  other  people,  and  everything  splendid,  and  just 
the  one  single  person  in  the  world  to  be  admired.  Oh  yes," 
continued  the  garrulous  little  widow,  in  her  terrible  indiscre- 
tion, and  now  she  had  turned  upon  Jess,  "  yes,  yes,  you  may 
show  as  much  pink  in  your  face  as  ye  like  ;  but  when  my 
cousin's  son  comes  to  the  house,  I  will  see  that  he  is  treated 
with  proper  civility — " 

"  I  am  sure  I  have  little  to  complain  of,"  Allan  said. 
"  Jessie  and  I  understand  each  other  pretty  well,  I  think." 

"Will  you  take  a  cup  of  tea  now,  Allan?"  the  widow 
asked. 

"  I  should  be  glad  of  it,"  he  made  answer,  "if  it  is  not  too 
much  trouble."  And  thereupon  Mrs.  Maclean  rose  and  went 
to  the  cupboard ;  she  was  delighted  that  the  stiff  -  necked 
young  man  had  condescended  to  accept  something  at  her 
hands. 

All  this  while  he  had  hardly  dared  to  look  Barbara's  way  ; 
though  his  whole  being  was  conscious  of  her  presence,  and 
thrilled  in  response  to  it:  he  knew  that  her  eyes,  pitiless 
though  they  might  be,  were  possibly,  even  by  chance,  wan- 
dering in  his  direction.  And  by  subtle  degrees  the  magnet- 
ism of  this  mere  proximity  had  again  got  hold  of  him  with 
all  its  accustomed  and  mysterious  force  ;  his  obduracy  melted  ; 
he  was  ready  to  forgive  her  everything  by-gone — her  open 
preference  of  another,  her  bitter  words  and  taunts — if  only 
there  was  a  hope  of  his  winning  a  friendly  look  from  under 
the  beautiful  lung  lashes.  And  it  seemed  so  easy  and  reason- 
able  for  her  to  be  kind.  Surely  one  so  bountifully  gifted  by 
nature  OUght  to  have  been  grateful  to   the  exist  ing  fabric   of 

things,  ami  ready  to  do  a  good  turn  anywhere?  How  could 
One  so  graciously  formed  be  so  merciless  and  cold  and  dis- 
tant |  Nay,  in  what  inscrutable  way  did  she  continue  to  ex- 
ercise this  irresistible  allurement  and  glamour,  if  her  attitude 
towards  him  was  intentionally  repellent! 

"  Here,  Barbara,"  said  the  lighl  hearted  little  widow,  "take 


LA    BELLE    DAME    SANS    MERCI  221 

off  your  black  hat  and  feathers,  and  not  sit  there  like  a  trag- 
edy empress.  Get  out  the  cups  and  saucers  ;  and  Jess — away 
wi'  those  books  o'  yours.  '  It's  a'  to  pleasure  our  guidman  ' : 
he'll  be  somebody's  guidman  all  in  good  time  ;  and  I  trust 
she'll  treat  him  well  after  such  thankless  work  as  teaching  a 
lot  of  idle  laddies." 

"  No,  no,  you  must  not  say  that,"  Allan  protested.  "  The 
school-work  during  the  day  may  be  tiresome  enough  and 
thankless  enough  ;  but  as  for  my  own  lads  that  come  to  me  in 
the  evening,  I  am  just  proud  of  them.  I  had  no  idea  that  in 
a  small  place  like  Duntroone  there  would  be  so  many  worthy 
young  fellows  determined  on  self -improvement  in  spite  of 
their  poor  and  hard  circumstances.  Where  they  get  time  to 
prepare  their  tasks  I  cannot  imagine,  unless  they  snatch  an 
hour  or  two  in  the  early  morning,  before  going  to  their  desk 
or  the  counter.     And  well-behaved  in  their  manner,  too — " 

"They'd  better  be  !"  said  Jess,  spitefully. 

" — civil,  and  attentive,  and  anxious  to  win  approval.  Poor 
lads,"  he  continued,  with  a  bit  of  a  sigh,  and  he  appeared  to 
relapse  into  a  profound  reverie,  "one  cannot  but  sympathize 
with  their  ambition ;  but  if  they  only  knew  how  little  a  knowl- 
edge of  books  will  avail  them  when  they  come  to  live  their 
lives — when  they  come  to  discover  how  inexorable  fate  is — 
and  how  hopeless  and  cross-grained  the  world  is — " 

"  Now  I'll  not  have  ye  talk  like  that,  Allan  !"  the  widow 
exclaimed.  "  I'll  not  have  ye  give  way  to  your  black  moods 
— though  it's  but  natural,  living  in  such  a  solitary  fashion, 
and  not  coming  among  your  friends  as  much  as  ye  ought. 
See,  try  what  this  will  do  for  you — and  a  slice  or  two  of 
cake — " 

He  paid  little  attention.  His  prematurely  lined  forehead 
remained  dark  and  meditative ;  until  Jess — whose  keen  gray 
eyes  could  read  his  face  as  if  it  were  a  book — thought  fit  to 
interfere.     She  said  to  him,  with  frank  good-nature : 

"  Come,  now,  Allan,  listen  to  me,  and  I  will  tell  you  some- 
thing. Your  evening  classes  promise  so  well  that  they  will 
soon  become  an  institution ;  and  there  is  one  thing  an  institu- 
tion cannot  do  without,  and  that  is  an  annual  soiree.  The 
young  men  will  invite  their  friends  and  their  sisters  and 
sweethearts ;  and  there  will  be  addresses  and  songs  ;  and  a 


222  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

report  in  the  newspapers,  so  that  your  classes  will  be  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  established  institutions  of  Duntroone — " 

"  Indeed,  you  can  talk  common-sense  when  you  like,  Jess," 
her  mother  said,  approvingly,  "  if  ye  would  not  keep  bicker- 
ing at  Allan,  poor  lad.  Just  a  fine  advertisement — a  fine  ad- 
vertisement to  help  him  in  the  public  notice — most  useful — 
most  useful — for  if  I  may  say  so,  Allan,  ye' re  just  a  little  bit 
inclined  to  be  reserved  and  unmanageable — " 

"  A  little  bit  inclined !"  said  Jess,  with  a  laugh ;  but  im- 
mediately she  added,  "  Well,  now,  Allan,  if  you  think  such 
a  thing  would  be  liked  by  the  lads  themselves,  you  might 
have  the  first  soiree  before  the  summer  vacation." 

"It  is  not  much  of  a  vacation  my  youths  will  expect,  or 
want,"  the  school-master  answered  her,  and  he  roused  him- 
self somewhat.  "  They  are  too  anxious  and  eager  to  get 
on.  I  hear  now  and  again  of  some  of  their  schemes  and  en- 
terprises— most  of  them  translations  and  useless  things  they 
could  never  get  published,  if  they  had  any  desire  of  that 
kind.  But  happily  there  do  not  seem  to  be  many  of  them 
aiming  at  a  literary  career;  I  hope  none  of  them,  indeed; 
that  will  be  one  disappointment  the  less  for  them  on  their  way 
through  the  world — -" 

"  Your  article  on  the  German  Folk-songs,"  said  Jess,  skil- 
fully intervening — "when  will  that  be  published?" 

"  It  is  not  a  subject  of  much  importance,"  he  made  an- 
swer;  "they  may  hold  it  over  for  any  length  of  time.  Mr, 
MeFadyen  seems  more  impatient  about  it,  than  I  am." 

"  I  think  all  of  us,"  said  Jess,  with  her  gentle  gray  eyes 
glistening  with  pride  and  pleasure — "I  think  all  of  us  will 
be  interested  enough  when  that  number  comes  out!" 

It  was  now  about  time  for  the  school-master  to  be  getting 
along  to  his  Latin  class;  and  as  he  rose  to  take  his  leave, 
the  warm-hearted  little  widow  was  urgent  in  her  entreaties 
that  he  should  come  oftener  to  sec  them.  The  strange  thing 
was  that   Barbara,  who  had  barely  spoken  a  word   during 

the  risit,  and  hardly  seemed  1<>  regard  herself  as  one  of  the 
company,  rose  also,  and  said  that  she  too  would  be  going. 
Of  course  he  could  not  assume  that  she  was  leaving  with 
him— that  he  was  even  to  he  allowed  to  hold  the  door  open 
for  her.      When  lie  had  hade  good-bye  to  the  othcrs,hc  hade 


LA    BELLE    DAME    SANS    MERCI  223 

good-bye  to  her ;  and  she  coldly  and  formally  gave  him  her 
hand.  And  then  he  passed  through  the  shop  and  out  into 
the  lamp-lit  street :  he  was  on  his  way  home,  alone. 

He  had  not  gone  a  dozen  yards  when  he  heard  light  and 
swift  footsteps  behind  him. 

"  Mr.  Henderson  !" 

The  voice  startled  him  ;  he  turned  instantly ;  and  then 
some  wild,  bewildering  hope  flashed  through  his  brain.  Had 
she  relented?  Had  her  heart  softened,  after  all?  Was  he 
now  to  take  her  and  claim  her  as  his  own  ?  Why  was  she 
advancing  towards  him — here  in  the  magical  dusk — if  all  the 
possibilities  of  all  the  world  were  not  wrapped  up  in  that 
slim  and  elegant  figure  ? 

It  was  but  a  momentary  madness  that  possessed  him.  Just 
behind  him  there  was  one  of  the  street  lamps;  and  the  dull 
light  it  shed  upon  her  features  showed  all  too  clearly  that  it 
was  no  compassion,  no  kindness,  that  had  moved  her  to  this 
sudden  act.  The  tone  of  her  voice,  when  she  spoke,  gave  the 
final  death-blow  to  that  distracting  fancy. 

"  I  wish  to  know  something  from  you,"  she  said,  rather 
breathlessly,  and  yet  with  obvious  determination.  "  We — 
we  had  some  talk  about  Mr.  Ogilvie.  And  you  threatened. 
What  is  it  you  have  said  or  done  to  him  ?  Something  has 
happened :  what  is  it  that  has  happened  ?  Why  does  he  keep 
away  ?  It  is  through  you.  I  know  it  is  through  you.  What 
is  it  you  have  done  ?" 

He  stood  irresolute.  Even  with  her  face  cruel,  she  looked 
so  winsome  !  And  then  to  be  alone  with  her — when  he  could 
seize  both  her  hands,  and  hold  her,  and  tell  her  at  last  what 
was  in  his  burning  heart.  But  then  again  came  the  despair- 
ing consciousness  that  it  was  all  in  vain  ;  her  voice  was  angry 
and  menacing  ;  her  demeanor  was  a  challenge. 

"  Whatever  I  did,  Barbara,"  he  said,  quite  humbly,  "  it 
was  through  no  wish  to  injure  you  ;  it  was  far  different  from 
that." 

"  And  who  asked  you  to  intermeddle  ?"  she  demanded,  with 
her  lips  grown  pale.  "And  who  made  you  the  judge  ?  Who 
gave  you  the  right  to  say  what  would  injure  me  or  not  injure 
me?" 

"  I  told  you,  Barbara,"  he  said,  gently — "  I  told  you  that  I 


224  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

could  not  stand  by  and  see  you  being  led  into  a  false  position 
through  your  ignorance  of  the  world.  Do  you  know  what 
people  would  say — " 

"I  do  not  care  what  people  would  say!"  she  broke  in, 
sullenly. 

"  Then  it  is  for  your  friends,"  said  he,  with  something 
more  of  firmness — "  if  you  are  so  wilful,  it  is  for  your  friends 
to  see  that  this  man  Ogilvie  will  not  take  advantage  of  your 
recklessness — " 

"  What  did  you  do  ?"  she  broke  in  again.  "  What  have 
you  done?  Why  does  he  keep  away  from  us?  It  is  owing 
to  you — it  is  you  that  have  done  it — well  I  know  that !" 

"  He  can  best  tell  you  himself,"  Henderson  said,  calmly, 
"  why  he  keeps  away  from  you.  But  a  young  woman  would 
be  more  regardful  of  her  character  who  did  not  show  herself 
so  anxious  about  the  visits  of  a  young  man." 

"  My  character  is  my  own,"  said  she,  hotly,  "  and  I  do  not 
wish  for  friends  that  have  bad  suspicions,  and  that  inter- 
fere where  they  are  not  wanted.  I  do  not  wish  for  such 
friends.  And  if  you  will  not  tell  me  what  has  happened, 
then  I  will  find  out  for  myself.  Yes,  indeed  !  I  will  get  some 
one  to  help  me — but  not  your  help — I  can  do  without  that! 
If  you  have  said  anything  to  him  in  my  name,  I  will  find  it 
out ;  and  if  you  have  done  anything  to  him,  1  will  find  some 
one  who  will  take  my  part — hut  not  you — not  you  ! — " 

There  were  some  people  coming  along  the  almost  deserted 
pavement;  she  turned  from  him  without  another  word,  and 
disappeared  into  the  dusk.  And  then  he  made  his  way 
home  —  to  those  busy  and  eager  lads  whose  confident  and 
courageous  interest  in  the  future  lying  before  them  was  such 
a  beautiful  thing,  with  its  touch  of  sadness  too. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
DARK     DEALINGS 

One  morning  Barbara  Maclean  was  up  on  the  top  of  the 
Gallows  Hill,  and  she  was  regarding  with  fixed  gaze  a  small 
and  faintly  red  speck  that  was  slowly  creeping  into  this  wide 
panorama  of  aerial  blues  and  grays.  It  was  the  funnel  of  the 
Aros  Castle,  that  was  now  on  her  way  across  from  the  Sound 
of  Mull  to  Duntroone ;  and  as  she  came  along  by  Lismore 
light,  the  dim  spot  of  red  gradually  took  definite  shape  and 
brightened  in  hue,  while  the  black  hull  of  the  steamer  was 
now  visible  amid  the  waste  of  waves.  Onward  she  came — 
past  the  Maiden  Island  —  past  the  end  of  Kerrara  —  under  the 
ivied  ruins  of  the  castle  —  and  through  the  smooth  waters  of 
the  bay ;  and  by  the  time  she  had  got  in  to  the  South  Pier, 
been  made  fast  there,  and  discharged  her  passengers  and  car- 
go, Barbara  had  descended  from  her  lofty  pinnacle,  and  was 
proceeding  along  the  harbor-front  with  apparent  unconcern, 
carelessly  glancing  at  the  railway-trucks,  the  lorries,  and  the 
herring-barrels.  This  is  not  the  part  of  Duntroone  ordinarily 
chosen  by  young  ladies  out  for  a  morning  walk  ;  nevertheless, 
she  seemed  bent  on  no  very  precise  errand ;  there  was  some- 
thing of  a  holiday  look  about  her  attire. 

Ogilvie,  his  work  finished  for  the  moment,  had  stepped 
ashore,  and  was  now  standing  talking  to  an  acquaintance.  When 
Barbara  drew  near,  he  glanced  towards  her  with  some  little 
surprise ;  then  he  raised  his  cap ;  evidently  he  assumed  that 
she  would  continue  on  her  way.  But  when  she  paused,  hes- 
itated, and  seemed  inclined  to  address  him,  he  at  once  dis- 
missed his  companion,  and  turned  to  her. 

"  It  is  some  time  since,"  she  said,  slowly — "  it  is  some 
time  since  you  have  been  to  see  us."     Her  eyes  were  down- 
cast, and  she  was  nervously  smoothing  the  forefinger  of  her 
glove. 
10* 


220  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  I  have  been  rather  busy,"  he  said,  evasively. 

"  I  was  thinking,"  said  she — "  I  was  thinking — if  there  was 
any  reason." 

"  Oh,  nothing  particular — nothing  particular,"  he  made  an- 
swer. There  was  no  shyness  about  him,  at  all  events;  he  was 
contentedly  scanning  the  various  articles  of  her  costume. 

For  a  second  she  was  silent;  then  she  ventured  to  raise  her 
eyes,  the  better  to  question  him. 

"  Was  Allan  Henderson — speaking  to  you  ?" 

At  this  he  laughed  rather  uneasily. 

"  Well,  yes,  we  had  a  few  words,  by  way  of  a  joke.  Only 
the  joke  might  have  had  a  bad  ending ;  for  both  of  us  were 
precious  near  rolling  over  the  edge  of  the  Castle  Hill." 

"  Was  there  a  fight  ?"  she  demanded,  with  breathless  ea- 
gerness. 

"  A  fight?  No.  But  there  was  a  scrimmage — a  ridiculous 
scrimmage.  A  fuss  about  nothing.  If  I  may  be  allowed  to 
say  so,  Miss  Barbara,  I'm  afraid  your  friends  are  just  a  little 
bit  too  officious !" 

There  was  something  of  a  taunt  in  this  last  phrase,  notwith- 
standing the  assumed  indifference  of  the  speaker.  As  for  her, 
her  cheeks  were  burning  hot  with  resentment ;  her  surmises 
had  been  only  too  clearly  confirmed. 

"  Yes,"  she  went  on,  in  bitter  indignation,  "  it  is  what  you 
say  —  my  friends  arc  a  good  deal  too  officious.  What  right 
have  they  to  interfere  on  my  account?  What  right  has  Allan 
Henderson  to  meddle  with  anything  that  concerns  me?  Let 
him  keep  to  his  school.  He  is  not  my  master.  I  am  not  in 
any  of  his  classes — " 

"But  really,  really,"  said  he,  with  abundant  good-humor, 
"  it  is  not  a  matter  to  make  any  worry  about.  It  is  of  no  con- 
Bequence  one  way  or  the  other.     It  is  a  trifle — " 

"  I  will  not  have  any  one  speaking  for  me  —  any  one  that 
has  not  the  right  to  do  it,"  she  continued,  with  the  beautiful 
lucent  eves  grown  sullen  with  wrath.  "And  what  was  it  lie 
Said?  Yes,  I  guessed  that  he  was  going  from  me  to  you  —  I 
have  been  thinking  of  it  —  I  was  sure  he  WOUld  he  doing  that. 
And  ii"u    I   want   1m  know  what  it  was  he  said — " 

The  purser  smiled  tolerantly. 

"Don't  you  bother  yourself  about  nothing,  Miss  Barbara," 


DARK    DEALINGS  227 

said  he.  "  Things  are  very  well  as  they  are  ;  are  they  not  ? 
I  for  one  am  perfectly  satisfied." 

She  regarded  him  boldly. 

"If  I  were  a  man,"  said  she,  "I  would  not  let  another  man 
frighten  me  away  from  any  house." 

He  winced  under  this  reproach ;  but  all  the  same  he  an- 
swered her  with  a  sufficiently  confident  air: 

"  No,  no,  Miss  Barbara ;  it  isn't  that  at  all.  There's  n.ot  a 
man  in  Dnntroone,  or  anywhere  else,  would  keep  me  away 
from  any  house  that  I  wished  to  visit — " 

"  Then  why—" 

"  Then  why  have  I  not  been  looking  in  of  late  to  see  you 
and  your  folks?"  he  said,  anticipating  her  question;  and  then 
he  proceeded,  carelessly :  "  Oh,  well,  I  hate  fuss  and  disturb- 
ance. I'm  for  a  quiet  life.  There's  no  use  in  seeking  trouble 
when  you  can  avoid  it.  It  isn't  worth  while.  I  don't  see  the 
object — " 

She  appeared  to  withdraw  a  little ;  and  her  manner  changed. 

"Oh,  of  course;  I  understand,"  she  said,  stiffly  and  proudly. 
"  If  it  is  not  worth  while,  why  should  you  come  to  see  us  ? 
If  there  is  no  object,  I  can  very  well  understand.  And  it  is 
much  better  as  it  is — " 

"  Besides,  as  I  tell  you,  I  have  been  busy,"  he  added,  with 
something  of  apology  in  his  tone. 

"  Oh  yes,  I  understand,"  she  said.  "  I  understand  very 
well.  And  as  you  say,  it  is  of  little  consequence.  Good- 
morning,  Mr.  Ogilvie  !" 

She  was  for  moving  away,  when  he  intercepted  her. 

"  One  moment,  Miss  Barbara,"  said  he,  as  if  rather  depre- 
cating her  displeasure.  "  You  have  never  fixed  yet  when  you 
are  coming  for  a  sail  with  us.  We  spoke  of  it  before — your 
going  up  to  Tobermory  —  and  staying  the  night  with  Mrs. 
Maclean's  friends  —  and  coming  back  with  us  the  next  day. 
The  weather  appears  quite  settled  at  present ;  and  I  would  see 
that  you  were  well  looked  after — " 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,"  said  she,  in  the  same 
stiff  and  cold  fashion.  "  But  before  I  could  do  that,  you 
woukPhave  to  come  and  ask  permission  for  me  from  Mrs. 
Maclean  ;  and  as  she  lives  in  a  house  that  you  dare  not  come 
near,  there  is  no  possibility  of  it," 


228  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

He  flushed  red  with  vexation. 

"  I  can  go  near  any  house  that  I  choose  to  go  near,"  he 
said,  shortly. 

"  Oh,  well,  indeed  now  that  is  a  good  thing,"  she  rejoined, 
with  great  coolness.  "  For  it  is  a  pity  that  any  one  should  be 
afraid  to  come  near  the  house  of  a  friend."  And  with  another 
formal  word  of  farewell,  she  turned  from  him  and  walked 
away,  resolute  and  apparently  unconcerned.  She  even  made 
a  show  of  opening  the  small  leathern  reticule  she  carried,  as 
if  to  refresh  her  memory  about  her  next  errand ;  but  her 
fingers  shook  so  that  she  could  hardly  undo  the  clasp. 

Some  little  time  thereafter,  on  her  way  home,  Barbara 
called  in  at  the  shop  to  leave  a  message ;  and  there  she  found 
Jessie  Maclean  talking  across  the  counter  to  Niall  Gorach. 
When  Barbara  entered,  Jess  looked  up  and  laughed. 

"  Now  is  your  chance,  Barbara,"  said  she.  "  Here  is  Niall 
that  offers  to  take  me  to  a  wonderful  spae-wife — " 

"And  what  is  that?"  Barbara  asked. 

"A  spae-wife — a  wise  woman — who  will  tell  you  whether 
you  are  going  to  marry  a  prince  or  a  chimney-sweep.  She 
will  tell  you  everything  that  is  to  happen  to  you,  and  per- 
haps something  more.  Well,  now,  I  have  no  curiosity  about 
myself;  I  am  content  to  be  as  I  am;  but  you  —  I'm  think- 
ing you  might  want  to  know  the  strange  and  fine  things  that 
are  to  come  your  way.  Though  I  am  not  sure  that  it  is  safe, 
Barbara;  you  might  see  too  much,  and  lose  your  senses — " 

Niall  was  looking  from  the  one  to  the  other  of  them.  At 
last  he  said  to  Jess  : 

"  It  was  you  that  was  keeping  the  man  from  striking  me; 
and  besides  I  got  a  suxpence  ;  and  I  was  to  show  you  the  white 
stag  in  Creannoch.  But  that  is  a  long  web  audi.  Mebbe 
you  would  come  to  the  wise  woman  ;  and  I  will  see  that  the 
policeman  is  not  noticing  anything — " 

Barbara  stared  at  him  and  listened,  in  silence.  And  with- 
out a  word  —  as  if  this  chance  proposal  were  a  matter  of 
complete  Indifference  t<>  her — she  left  the  shop.  But  a  few 
minutes  afterwards,  when  Niall  G orach  was  going  along  the 
street,  he  found  himself  overtaken. 

"  Have  you  the  Gaelic?"  said  a  voice  close  to  him. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  he  answered  in  that  tongue,  as  he  turned 


DARK    DEALINGS  229 

and  beheld  Barbara  Maclean  confronting  him ;  no  doubt  in 
his  eyes  sbe  seemed  a  grand  and  noble  lady,  with  her  fine 
hat  and  feathers. 

"  Will  you  take  me  to  the  wise  woman  ?"  she  said,  hur- 
riedly. 

The  half-witted  lad  regarded  her  with  slow  suspicion. 

"  '  What  you  do  not  do  to-day  you  will  not  repent  to-mor- 
row ' ;  that  is  what  they  are  always  saying  to  me,"  he  re- 
plied. 

"  But  I  am  Jessie  Maclean's  cousin,  and  you  are  very  friend- 
ly with  her,"  continued  Barbara.  "  And  besides  that,  I  will 
be  giving  you  something." 

Still  he  hesitated. 

"  You  would  have  to  go  after  it  is  dark,"  said  he. 

"  I  will  go  at  any  time,"  she  responded,  eagerly.  "  Tell  me 
where  I  am  to  meet  you." 

"  And  you  will  not  be  speaking  of  it  to  any  one  ?"  he  asked 
of  her,  with  cautious  and  peering  eyes. 

"  As  sure  as  the  Good  Being  lives,  not  a  word  will  I  pass  to 
any  person." 

This  seemed  at  length  to  pacify  him ;  and,  after  a  glance  up 
and  down  the  thoroughfare,  he  told  her  when  and  where  she 
should  find  him.  Then  Barbara  hurried  off  home,  for  Mrs. 
Maclean  would  soon  be  coming  over  for  her  mid-day  meal. 
The  little  widow,  when  she  did  appear,  found  her  niece  more 
preoccupied  and  silent  even  than  usual ;  she  did  not  know  that 
the  girl,  trembling  at  her  own  temerity,  had  it  in  mind  to  lay 
an  impious  hand  on  the  veil  of  the  future. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  when  darkness  had  fallen  and  the 
street  lamps  were  lit,  Barbara  stole  out  and  along  to  the  ren- 
dezvous, her  finery  being  now  all  discarded  for  a  thick  tartan 
plaid  which  she  wore  round  her  head  and  shoulders,  and  with 
which  she  could  pretty  effectually  conceal  her  face.  Niall  was 
awaiting  her. 

"Does  the  woman  —  does  the  wise  woman  —  ever  do  any 
one  harm  ?"  Barbara  asked  of  her  companion  as  they  set  forth 
— and  she  spoke  in  an  undertone. 

"  You  will  have  to  give  her  money,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Will  you  come  into  the  house  with  me  ?"  she  asked  again, 
timidly. 


230  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

*'  No.  I  will  be  on  the  outside.  And  if  I  see  the  office?',  I 
will  let  you  have  warning.  But  it  is  a  very  secret  place,  and 
perhaps  they  will  not  be  observing  anything." 

He  led  the  way  towards  a  back  slum  in  the  poorer  part  of 
the  town ;  and  there,  with  all  sorts  of  stealthy  precautions 
against  being  remarked,  he  brought  her  to  the  mouth  of  a 
"  close  "  or  entry,  and  whispered  to  her  to  go  in.  As  for  him- 
self, he  seemed  at  the  same  moment  to  vanish.  Barbara,  thus 
thrown  on  her  own  resources,  did  advance  a  step  or  two ;  but 
the  place  was  pitch-dark ;  and  it  is  probable  that  in  her  vague 
apprehension  she  would  have  retreated  and  got  into  the  open 
air  again,  but  that  suddenly  a  hand  was  laid  upon  her  arm. 
She  shrieked  in  terror. 

"Be  quiet — be  still  —  ye're  safe  enough,"  said  a  woman's 
voice.     "  I'll  show  ye  the  way." 

Hardly  knowing  what  was  happening  to  her,  she  suffered 
herself  to  be  led  by  this  unknown  grasp ;  she  was  conducted 
along  a  narrow  passage  ;  she  was  warned  about  the  descent 
of  some  steps;  she  found  herself  in  a  stone-paved  court;  and 
then  a  door  was  opened,  and  presently  she  knew  that  she 
had  come  into  some  confined  space.  The  next  moment  her 
guide  struck  a  match  and  proceeded  to  light  a  candle  ;  and 
Barbara,  looking  around  with  bewildered  eyes,  discovered  that 
she  was  in  a  low-roofed  cellar-looking  place  that  was  appar- 
ently empty,  while  her  companion  turned  out  to  be  a  little 
old  woman  of  slatternly  appearance  and  unkempt  gray  hair. 
The  ancient  witch  now  shut  the  door  behind  them,  and  fixed 
the  candle  on  to  the  wall. 

"There  will  he  no  one  to  disturb  us,"  she  said,  after  a  swift 
and  cunning  scrutiny  of  the  features  of  her  visitor.  "And  if 
anything  should  appear  —  there  in  the  middle  of  the  floor  — 
you  will  mind  not  to  give  a  cry." 

At  these  words  the  figure  of  the  girl  began  to  shiver  slightly. 

"  1  am  not  wishing  for  anything  to  appear,"  she  said,  in  a 
low   voice. 

"Maybe  there  will  no — maybe  there  will  no,"  the  crone 
proceeded,  as  she  began  to  got  out  the  implements  <>f  her 
craft.  "  I '»ut-  at  least  I  can  tell  ye  some  things  that's  before 
you;  and  that  I  can  do  because  1  have  read  the  Book  of  the 
Law  ;  aye,  and  I  have  beard  the  Voice  ;  and  open  now  is  all  that 


DARK     DEALINGS  231 

was  shut,  and  shut  is  all  that  was  open.  Be  attentive  now — 
the  time  is  at  hand." 

What  followed — the  palmistry,  the  divination  by  cards,  and 
the  like — was  of  the  most  poor  and  paltry  description  ;  that 
is  to  say,  the  old  beldame's  tricks  and  pretences  would  have 
appeared  tawdry  and  commonplace  to  a  landward-bred  girl, 
who  would  have  regarded  them  with  a  mixture  of  laughing 
incredulity  and  curiosity,  the  incredulity  predominating ;  but 
Barbara  had  been  brought  up  in  a  lonely  island,  with  moaning 
seas  around,  and  the  awful  silence  of  the  starlight  nights ; 
and  her  imaginative  and  impressionable  temperament  yielded 
readily  to  a  fear  of  the  supernatural.  The  gibberish  the  old 
woman  talked  was  to  her  something  terrible  and  strange  ;  the 
mysterious  hints  of  what  was  in  store  for  her  were  com- 
munications from  the  unseen  ;  it  needed  no  caldrons  with 
green  flames,  nor  spectral  figures,  nor  pentagrams  with  phan- 
tom goats  to  convince  her  that  these  blurred  glimpses  into 
the  future  were  true.  Nay,  in  her  tremulous  agitation  she 
almost  seemed  to  think  that  this  revealer  of  coming  events 
had  some  power  of  control  over  them. 

"  No,  no ! — he's  not  to  be  away  for  so  many  years  !"  she 
exclaimed,  piteously.  "  Don't  say  that !  He  may  change  his 
mind.  He  may  find  enough  attraction  at  home.  Not  for 
years  and  years — " 

"  But,  as  I  tell  ye,  there's  a  lady  in  the  ploy,"  continued 
the  hag,  and  she  shuffled  the  dirty  bits  of  pasteboard  again, 
and  affected  to  be  examining  them  profoundly.  "  Aye,  in- 
deed, a  grand  lady,  and  richly  dressed.  And  what  is  a  tartan 
shawl  against  a  velvet  gown  ? — " 

"  But  I  have  better  than  a  tartan  shawl !"  said  Barbara, 
quickly.  "  I  only  put  on  the  plaid  to  hide  my  face  in  the 
street.  I  have  far  finer  things — it  need  not  be  for  that  he 
will  go  away  and  stay  away  for  years.  Is  there  not  enough 
attraction  at  home,  that  he  should  be  going  away  ?  What 
will  I  do,  then,  that  he  is  not  to  go  away  ?" 

"  But  the  dark  sweetheart — you  have  been  thinking  of  him 
as  well  ?"  said  the  withered  beldame,  watching  her  prey  by 
the  dull  light  of  the  solitary  candle. 

"  Him  !"  said  the  girl,  with  unguarded  vehemence.  "  It  is 
nothing  but  mischief  he  has  been  doing,  coming  between  us ! 


232  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

No,  no,  do  not  tell  me  about  him — do  not  waste  time — tell 
me  about  the  other  one  !  How  many  years  is  he  to  be  away  ? 
He  will  forget  all  about  me  ! — " 

"  Well,  well,  now,"  said  the  ferret-eyed  old  woman,  insid- 
iously, "  but  there's  the  rich  old  gentleman  you  have  the 
chance  of — " 

"  I  would  rather  be  dead !"  Barbara  broke  in,  passionately. 

"  Aye,  aye,  but  carriages  and  horses  are  fine  things,  and  rib- 
bons and  satins.  You  will  come  to  me  again  now,  and  bring 
me  a  little  more  money  ;  and  I  will  tell  ye  about  the  rich  old 
gentleman,  and  the  estate,  and  the  grand  pew  in  the  church — " 

"  I  would  rather  be  dead  ! — I  would  rather  be  dead !"  the 
girl  cried — out  of  her  mind  with  this  torture  of  hopes  and 
fears.  "  Tell  me  about  the  other  one — about  the  fair  one : 
how  many  years  is  he  to  be  away  ? — and  maybe  he  will  not 
go  if  he  finds  enough  attraction  at  home  ?  What  is  it  that 
will  keep  him  ?  What  am  I  to  do?  Are  you  sure  that  he  is 
going?  He  never  said  that  to  me.  Only  that  he  was  not 
satisfied,  as  many  a  young  man  is  not  satisfied,  and  wishing 
for  better  opportunities—" 

There  was  a  tapping  at  the  door.  The  old  witch  instantly 
blew  out  the  light. 

"  There's  a  policeman  at  the  corner,"  Niall  Gorach  whis- 
pered in  to  them  in  Gaelic,  "and  it  is  I  that  am  thinking  he 
is  on  the  watch  for  us.  Well,  now,  if  he  comes  here,  as  soon 
as  he  puts  his  foot  on  the  steps,  I  will  trip  him  up ;  and  you 
must  run — " 

"  No,  no  !"  exclaimed  Barbara,  in  still  further  alarm.  "  I 
cannot  do  that.  Every  one  will  know.  Will  I  give  him 
money  ? — I  have  still  a  little — " 

"  Give  it  to  me  !"  said  the  beldame,  eagerly.  "  Give  it  to 
me — and  I  will  make  him  quiet — " 

"  May  the  devil  cat  you  !"  growled  Niall  Gorach,  using  a 
familiar  Gaelic  imprecation.  "If  you  take  another  penny  of 
her  money,  it  is  I  that  will  make  your  life  too  hard  to  be 
borne.  I  will  put  more  wild  beasts  into  your  house  than  you 
ever  saw  in  a  pack  of  cards.  Now  be  still — and  maybe  the 
officer  will  go  by." 

They  stood  silent,  and  unseen  by  each  other  in  (lie  dark, 
Barbara  hardly  daring  to   breathe.      And   then,  after  a  little 


1  BUT    THERE'S    THE    RICH    OLD    GENTLEMAN    VOL'    HAVE    THE    CHANCE    OF1" 


DARK    DEALINGS  233 

while,  Niall  Gorach  crept  away  from  the  cellar,  and  ascended 
the  steps,  and  passed  out  to  the  front ;  he  returned  with  the 
welcome  intelligence  that  the  coast  was  clear — Barbara  was 
free  to  go.  A  second  or  two  thereafter  the  shawled  figure 
was  again  passing  swiftly  along  the  thoroughfare — her  face 
concealed  from  the  light  of  the  lamps — and  many  a  wild  fancy 
claiming  possession  of  her  brain. 


CHAPTER  XXVin 

*.  THE     RED    PARASOl 

"  I  am  of  opeenion,"  said  the  councillor,  seated  in  Mrs.  Mac- 
lean's back  parlor,  and  giving  himself  considerable  airs  before 
the  women-folk — "  I  am  of  opeenion  that  in  human  life  there's 
a  great  deal  to  be  done  with  imagination.  For  example,  now, 
when  I  want  to  go  to  sleep  at  night — and  if  there's  a  grander 
thing  in  the  world  than  a  sound  night's  rest,  I  don't  know 
where  you'll  find  it — when  I  want  to  get  to  sleep,  I  double  up 
the  pillow  to  give  a  rounded  edge  to  it,  and  then  I  put  my 
cheek  quietly  and  softly  on  it,  and  then  I  try  to  imagine  that 
my  head  is  a  golfball  placed  on  the  tee ;  not  a  ball  among 
prickly  whins,  nor  a  ball  in  a  cart-rut,  nor  a  ball  in  a  puddle 
o'  water,  but  a  ball  carefully  and  gently  and  securely  placed 
on  the  tee — " 

"  Aye,"  said  Jess,  "  and  do  ye  never  dream  that  it's  sent 
whirling  into  the  air  with  one  o'  they  heavy  clubs?" 

"  Na,  na,"  he  responded,  slyly.  "  By  the  time  it  comes  to 
dreaming  I'm  dreaming  of  something  quite  different.  It's 
the  getting  to  sleep  is  the  question,  and  that's  where  imag- 
ination steps  in  and  does  the  trick.  Talking  of  golf  balls," 
lie  went  on,  "the  new  links  arc  nearly  completed;  and  when 
they're  open,  Miss  Jessie,  I  want  you  and  Miss  Barbara  to 
come  and  look  on  at  another  match  between  me  and  Jamie 
Gilmour.  Ye  see,  I  had  rather  bad  luck  the  last  time — "  He 
stopped  ;  and  then  proceeded  again,  with  a  sudden  burst  of 
honesty  :  "  No,  I'll  not  say  that.  I  will  not  say  that.  If  a  man 
can  beat  me  at  golf,  he  can  beat  me  ;  and  there's  an  end  of  it, 
1  cannot  do  better  than  my  best.  Dod  bless  me,  I  see  people 
worrying  and  worrying  because;  they're  not  equal  to  their 
neighbors! — there's  no  philosophy  in  that — no  philosophy— -n 

"  I'm  sure,  Mr.  McFadycn,"  observed  the  polite  little  widow, 
"there's  few  can  beat  ye  at  golf,  or  at  anything  else." 


THE    RED    PARASOL  235 

"  Well,"  said  the  councillor,  modestly,  "  I'm  not  saying  but 
that  I  try  to  keep  myself  up  to  the  mark.  And  maybe  I'll 
show  Jamie  something  on  the  new  links.  I've  been  over  the 
ground.  I've  been  studying  the  bunkers.  I  think  I  can  see 
my  way  to  make  a  fight  of  it — if  Gilmour  does  not  put  me  out 
wi'  that  cackling  laugh  of  his — " 

At  this  point  Barbara  made  her  appearance,  and  he  in- 
stantly jumped  to  his  feet  to  shake  hands  with  her  and  to 
pull  in  a  chair  for  her. 

"  I  thought  I  saw  you  this  morning,"  he  said,  with  adroit 
flattery,  "  for  there  was  a  young  lady  going  down  the  street 
before  me  that  had  a  very  elegant  figure  and  was  nicely 
dressed,  and  thinks  I  to  myself,  '  If  that's  not  Miss  Barbara, 
I'm  a  Dutchman  !'  But  when  I  got  nearer  I  discovered  who 
she  was — it  was  one  of  the  Miss  Murrays  of  Inveruran — the 
younger  daughter,  I  think — " 

Barbara's  face  flushed  with  pleasure  ;  the  Murrays  of  In- 
veruran were  great  people  in  those  parts,  the  ladies  of  the 
family  being  quite  the  leaders  of  fashion. 

"  It  was  her  red  parasol  that  had  hidden  her  face,"  ex- 
plained the  councillor.  "  And  I  will  say  this,"  he  continued, 
with  an  air  of  conviction,  "  that  any  young  lady  that  carries 
a  scarlet  parasol  does  nothing  more  nor  less  than  confer  a 
favor  on  every  one  coming  within  sight  of  her.  And  I  will 
just  explain  to  ye  now  why  a  red  parasol  should  be  such  a 
beautiful  thing,  and  grateful  to  the  eye.  What  is  the  gen- 
eral color  of  the  earth  ?  It's  green.  And  what  is  the  com- 
plementary color  of  green  ?  It's  red.  And  that's  the  reason 
uf  the  harmony — that's  why  the  eye  welcomes  it.  Dod,  I  tell 
ye  that  a  brilliant  red  parasol,  on  the  dullest  day  ye  like, 
looks  to  me  just  like  a  blaze  o'  summer,  though  the  young 
lady  may  be  only  standing  on  the  pavement  and  looking  in 
at  McLennan's  windows." 

Barbara  had  been  listening  intently — in  silence ;  but  the 
widow  said : 

"  It's  very  clever  of  you,  Mr.  McFadyen,  to  understand  the 
meaning  of  such  things." 

"  No,  no,"  he  responded,  with  some  touch  of  deprecation, 
"  only  there's  a  why  and  a  wherefore  to  everything,  and  one 
is  none  the  worse  for  beimr  aware  of  it." 


236  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

It  was  a  few  days  after  this  that  Barbara  was  again  wait- 
ing and  watching  for  the  Aros  Castle — this  time  from  the 
rocky  promontory  underneath  the  Gallows  Hill.  In  addition 
to  her  ordinary  attire,  she  had  a  shawl  hanging  over  her  arm, 
though  the  warmth  of  early  summer  was  now  in  the  air;  while 
there  could  be  little  fear  of  rain  on  such  a  morning,  for  sea 
and  sky  were  alike  of  a  faultless  blue,  while  the  hills  of  Mull 
and  Morven  and  Kingairloch  had  that  peculiar  remoteness 
and  aerial  quality  that  tells  of  settled  fine  weather.  And  it 
was  into  this  world  of  shining  azure  that  the  red  speck  of  a 
funnel  eventually  and  slowly  made  its  way  ;  until,  as  the  ship 
drew  nearer  and  nearer,  the  throb  of  her  paddles  could  be 
heard,  echoing  up  among  the  ruins  of  Duntroone  Castle. 
Then  she  churned  her  way  across  the  smooth  waters  of  the 
harbor ;  she  was  made  fast  alongside  the  quay  ;  and  the  work 
of  discharging  passengers  and  cargo  began. 

Barbara  lingered  and  still  lingered  out  on  the  rocks ;  and 
when  any  one  chanced  to  pass — for  there  was  a  boat-builder's 
shed  down  at  the  shore — she  would  leisurely  walk  a  few  steps 
one  way  or  another,  as  though  she  were  entirely  engrossed 
with  the  seaward  view.  But  by-and-by  she  turned  her  back 
on  that  brilliant  picture  ;  she  left  the  rocks ;  she  went  along 
by  the  fishermen's  cottages ;  and  now  before  her  was  the 
South  Pier,  with  the  Aros  Castle  lying  idle,  though  there  were 
still  a  few  stragglers  busy  amongst  the  landed  cargo.  At  this 
point  she  paused  for  a  moment  to  take  out  something  from 
under  the  folded  shawl.  It  was  a  scarlet  sunshade ;  and 
when  she  had  opened  it  and  raised  it  over  her  head,  very  fine 
it  looked,  for  the  sharp  black  rays  of  the  frame-work  only 
made  the  translucency  of  the  silk  more  apparent,  and  there 
was  a  soft  rose-red  glow  under  this  splendid  canopy.  Per- 
haps her  eyes  were  a  little  timid  as  she  went  forward  again  ; 
but  she  could  lower  the  sunshade  an  inch  or  two  and  screen 
herself  from  observation  if  she  chose.  And  in  this  wise  she 
approached  the  Aros  Castle. 

There  was  little  doing  on  board  the  steamer,  the  train  not 
yet  having  come  in;  the  captain  was  seated  near  the  bridge, 

Smoking  his  pipe,  while  the  purser  was  standing  by,  with  a 
bundle  of  papers  in  his  hand.  But  Ogilvie,  at  the  moment, 
was  not  looking  at  these  papers;  and  it  is  quite  certain  that 


THE    RED    PARASOL  237 

as  Barbara  approached  his  attention  must  have  been  drawn 
to  such  a  conspicuous  object  as  a  scarlet  sunshade — conspicu- 
ous among  the  squalor  of  a  quay.  Moreover,  if  he  had  been 
in  the  mind  to  intercept  her,  even  in  the  way  of  ordinary 
friendliness,  a  couple  of  seconds  would  have  brought  him  to 
the  landward  end  of  the  gangway.  And  yet  he  made  no 
sign;  while  she  on  her  part,  apparently  taking  no  heed  of  his 
discourtesy,  passed  on,  the  proud  elegance  of  her  gait  losing 
nothing  of  its  accent. 

"  Who's  that  flaunting  her  feathers  at  ye,  Jack  ?"  the  cap- 
tain said,  with  a  glance  after  her. 

"  That  was  one  of  the  Maclean  girls,"  he  answered,  care- 
lessly. 

But  of  a  sudden  Barbara  turned ;  she  came  deliberately 
back  to  the  steamer ;  and  of  course,  as  soon  as  he  saw  her 
put  her  foot  on  the  gangway,  he  stepped  forward  to  meet 
her. 

"  Are  you  going  over  to  the  North  Pier  soon  ?"  she  asked, 
somewhat  stiffly. 

"Not  very  long  now,"  he  answered  her;  "the  train  is 
nearly  due." 

"  I  am  tired — I  have  been  for  a  long  walk,"  she  said. 

"  Then  you  could  not  do  better  than  let  us  take  you 
across,"  said  he ;  and  he  went  and  fetched  a  camp-stool  for 
her.  The  captain,  a  taciturn  man,  put  his  pipe  in  his. waist- 
coat pocket,  and  got  up  and  walked  away,  his  hands  behind 
his  back. 

She  hardly  knew  what  to  do  or  say.  Sullen  and  wrathful 
as  she  was  over  his  indifference,  she  yet  feared  to  widen  the 
breach  between  them. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  more  and  more  people  coming  every 
day,"  she  said. 

"  Oh  yes ;  the  season  has  well  begun  now,"  he  answered 
her.  "  The  fine  weather  brings  out  the  tourists  like  horse- 
flies." 

"  You  need  not  quarrel  with  what  gets  you  your  living,"  she 
said,  again. 

"  It's  a  pretty  poor  living,"  he  rejoined — but  he  was  look- 
ing away  towards  the  station,  into  which  the  train  had  just 
slowly  crept. 


238  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"And  I  suppose,"  she  continued,  with  just  the  suspicion 
of  a  taunt,  "  that  you  are  kept  as  husy  during  the  evenings  as 
during  the  day?" 

"  One  has  got  to  work,"  he  said.  And  then  he  glanced  at 
her  costume  and  the  splendor  of  the  rose-red  parasol.  "  You 
are  better  off.     You  can  take  your  holidays  when  you  like." 

"  I  would  not  be  a  slave  at  all  hours,"  she  retorted.  "  I 
would  not  be  a  slave  for  any  one." 

"  You  are  lucky,"  he  said.  "  Some  of  us  have  got  to  be 
slaves."  And  with  that  he  left  her,  and  went  to  the  head  of 
the  gangway ;  for  the  first  of  the  hotel  omnibuses  had  just 
arrived,  and  the  people  were  descending. 

She  did  not  have  further  talk  with  him  for  some  time ;  she 
could  only  sit  patiently  and  follow  him  with  her  eyes,  espe- 
cially noting  his  demeanor  towards  the  young  ladies  and  their 
mammas  who  came  on  board.  He  himself  had  half  jestingly 
complained  of  their  treatment  of  him — that  at  the  very  most 
they  would  throw  him  a  word  of  civility  as  they  would  throw 
a  bone  to  a  dog ;  but  Barbara's  observation  did  not  tell  her 
that  such  was  the  case ;  he  seemed  to  be  known  to  many ; 
and  the  greetings  that  were  exchanged,  as  this  one  or  that 
came  along  and  stepped  on  to  the  deck,  were  quite  suffi- 
ciently pleasant  and  friendly.  And  why  would  he  not  smile 
in  that  fashion  upon  her?  The  beams  of  the  sun-god  could 
so  easily  have  dissipated  her  anger? 

She  waited  and  waited,  and  still  he  did  not  return  to  her. 
The  steamer's  bell  was  rung  a  third  time  ;  there  \v:is  a  brief 
interval;  a  last  passenger  or  two  came  running;  and  then 
the  gangway  was  withdrawn,  the  captain  signalled  down  to 
the  engine-room,  and  the  puddle- wheels  began  to  revolve. 
There  remained  now  but  the  breadth  of  Duntroonc  Bay — so 
short  a  space  for  speech  !  With  feverish  impatience  she 
watched  him  go  hither  and  thither;  and  apparently  he  had 
no  great  business  on  hand ;  for  eventually  he  stood  idly  chat- 
ting and  laughing  with  a  man  she  knew  very  well  by  sight 
— the  chief  draper  in  Duntroonc.  Nay,  his  neglect  of  her 
seemed  intentional — an  open  insult;  she  already  saw  herself, 
leave  the  boat  in  proud  silence,  with  a  bitter  resolve  that 
henceforth  they  should  be  absolute  strangers  to  each  other. 
And    indeed    it    was   not,    until    (he   very    last    minute,  as   the 


THE    RED    PARASOL  239 

steamer  was  nearing  the  North  Pier,  that  he  came  quickly 
along  to  her  and  said  : 

"  Well,  now,  Miss  Barbara,  I'm  very  glad  we  had  the  chance 
of  bringing  you  across  ;  and  you  must  make  use  of  the  steam- 
er whenever  you  are  over  on  the  other  side.  And  remember 
me  to  your  aunt  and  Miss  Jessie — Jessie  the  Flower  of  Dun- 
troone,  as  Mr.  McFadyen  would  say." 

He  spoke  in  his  usual  free  and  off-hand  fashion ;  and  her 
keen  mortification  and  resentment,  that  had  been  longing  for 
expression  in  some  indignant  act  or  look,  got  all  blunted  and 
subdued  and  dispelled. 

"  I  hope  you  will  come  in  some  evening  and  see  them," 
she  said,  as  she  stepped  on  to  the  gangway — and  for  a  mo- 
ment her  eyes  did  seek  his  with  some  timid  appeal. 

"  Oh  yes,  yes,"  he  answered  her,  good-naturedly  enough ; 
and  then  she  passed  along,  and  got  ashore,  and  was  lost  in 
the  crowd.  She  did  not  stay  to  look  at  the  departing  steam- 
er. She  hurriedly  shut  up  the  red  sunshade,  and  carefully 
hid  it  under  the  shawl  hanging  over  her  arm ;  and,  thus 
shorn  of  her  glory,  she  left  the  quay  and  made  her  way 
home. 

That  same  evening  Mrs.  Maclean,  Jess,  and  Barbara,  the 
varied  toil  of  the  day  over,  were  seated  at  their  frugal  meal ; 
and  the  widow  was  talking  in  an  unusually  concerned  and 
anxious  manner.  It  appeared  that  some  time  during  the  af- 
ternoon, on  her  way  to  the  shipping -office  to  pay  freights, 
she  had  chanced  to  meet  Allan  Henderson  ;  and  she  had  been 
greatly  struck  by  the  serious  change  in  his  looks ;  he  seemed 
ill  and  careworn  and  depressed,  though  he  would  not  admit 
that  anything  was  wrong. 

"  And  I  feel  kind  of  responsible  for  the  lad,"  she  continued, 
"  for  we  are  all  the  kith  and  kin  he  has  near  him.  But  he's 
that  stubborn ;  he'll  not  take  advice ;  he  thinks  he  can 
do  anything  with  his  constitution  —  that  has  served  him 
well  so  far,  I  admit ;  but  how  long  is  it  going  to  stand  out 
against  careless  treatment  and  overwork  ?  I'm  sure  I  hope 
the  warning  has  not  come  now — poor  lad,  my  heart  was  sore 
to  see  him;  but  would  he  say  there  was  anything  wrong? — 
not  a  bit ! — he  only  laughed,  and  declared  he  had  no  time  to 
imagine  himself  an  invalid.     It  was  not  a  happy  kind  of  a 


240  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

laugh  either — there's  something  on  the  lad's  mind,  that  I  am 
convinced  of — " 

"  Mother,"  said  Jess,  "  if  he  is  looking  so  ill,  don't  you 
think  we  could  send  Dr.  McGillivray — Allan  could  not  well 
refuse  to  see  him — " 

"But  he  would — he  would,"  the  little  widow  rejoined.  "  I 
just  begged  and  prayed  him  to  insult  a  doctor — if  only  to 
save  us  from  anxiety  ;  but  as  I  tell  ye,  he's  that  stubborn ; 
and  he  thinks  he's  made  of  cast-iron.  And  a  more  pernee- 
cious  idea  cannot  get  hold  of  a  young  man." 

She  paused  for  a  moment  or  two ;  and  then  resumed,  in  a 
more  cheerful  tone : 

"  Well,  for  another  reason  I  was  pleased  to  meet  the  lad, 
and  glad  to  find  him  just  as  simple  and  honest  and  straight- 
spoken  as  ever.  lie  has  not  been  near  us  for  a  while  now  ; 
and  I  was  rather  wondering  whether  his  college  learning  and 
his  classes  might  not  be  beginning  to  make  him  a  little  set 
up,  so  that  he  would  not  care  about  being  seen  coming  into  a 
tobacco-shop  and  sitting  down  among  friends  there — " 

"  It's  little  you  know  Allan,"  said  Jess,  proudly,  "  if  you 
could  suspect  him  of  any  such  thing  !" 

"Ah,  but  there's  curious  ideas  get  into  the  minds  of  young 
folks,"  said  the  widow,  shaking  her  head.  Then  she  added, 
pointedly  :  "  And  I  would  ask  you  this,  Jess :  supposing  that 
Allan  was  ever  to  give  himself  airs  like  that,  who  would 
be  accountable  for  it? — who  but  you  yourself?  Who  but 
you — talking  of  the  great  things  he's  to  look  forward  to,  and 
setting  him  on,  and  making  so  much  of  him?  Many's  the 
time  I've  watched  him  with  his  great  eyes  glowering  into 
the  fire,  while  you  were  telling  him  of  this  one  and  the  other 
that  had  gone  away  to  London  and  become  famous ;  and  was 
it  not  you  yourself,  Jessie — and  that  not  so  long  ago  either — 
was  it  not  you  yourself  that  was  saying  there  would  come  a 
day  when  we  would  be  wondering  that  Allan  Henderson  ever 
used  to  come  into  our  parlor,  and  sit  down  and  chat  with  us, 
and  smoke  his  pipe?" 

I '.ut  .lessic  was  in  nowise  abashed. 

"And  if  I  did?"  she  replied  promptly.  "That  is  saying 
one  thing.  Bnt  it  is  quite  a  different  thim,'  to  suppose  that 
Allan  would  ever  show  himself  ashamed  of  us;   no,  not  if  he 


THE    RED    PARASOL  241 

were  coining  back  from  dining  with  the  Queen  at  Windsor 
Castle.  It  is  not  in  his  nature  to  be  like  that ;  he  would  not 
understand  it;  he  is  too  thorough  through  and  through; 
meanness  and  pretence  of  that  kind  he  simply  could  not  com- 
prehend.    You  might  as  well — " 

"Aye,  Jess,"  her  mother  interposed,  dryly,  "you've  aye  got 
a  fair  word  for  Allan  behind  his  back ;  it's  a  pity  you're  not 
more  civil  to  him  before  his  face." 

To  which  there  was  no  reply ;  for  now  sapper  was  over  ; 
Mrs.  Maclean  took  up  the  Duntroone  Times  and  Telegraph,  to 
read  the  news  from  the  outer  isles ;  the  girl  Christina  was 
called  in  to  clear  the  table ;  while  Jess  went  away  to  her  own 
room  to  fetch  some  piece  of  dress  that  she  wished  to  mend. 
Barbara  sat  down  and  began  to  plait  a  collar  for  a  kitten  that 
had  recently  been  presented  to  her. 

It  was  a  quiet  evening,  and  apparently  uneventful ;  and 
yet  something  strange  occurred  under  that  placid  surface. 
Jess  Maclean  was  away  for  a  considerable  time  before  she 
returned  with  the  garment  she  had  been  seeking ;  and  when 
she  appeared  at  the  door  again,  she  said,  in  accents  of  surprise  : 

"  Barbara,  where  did  you  get  that  red  sunshade  ?  I  could 
not  find  my  pelisse,  and  I  thought  it  might  have  been  put 
into  your  drawer — " 

Barbara  had  started  to  her  feet,  her  face  betraying  the 
most  vivid  alarm ;  and  instantly  she  stepped  across  the  room 
before  Jess  could  add  another  word.  Indeed,  so  quick  were 
her  movements,  and  so  deeply  was  Mrs.  Maclean  engrossed 
with  her  newspaper,  that  the  widow,  who  had  not  chanced 
to  overhear  Jessie's  question,  did  not  even  now  notice  that 
both  girls  had  disappeared.  Barbara  dragged  her  cousin 
into  the  adjacent  room. 

"  I  am  not  wishing  your  mother  to  know,"  she  said,  in  the 
greatest  confusion  ;  and  she  went  hurriedly  to  the  drawer 
and  opened  it,  and  proceeded  to  securely  cover  over  the  sun- 
shade, which  was  down  at  the  bottom. 

Jess  was  astonished  beyond  measure. 

"  I  am  sure,  Barbara,"  she  said,  "  I  did  not  intend  to  pry 
into  any  secret.     But  I  thought  my  pelisse  might  be  there. 
And  how  do  you  think  my   mother    is  not  to  know  ? — she 
will  see  you  carrying  the  sunshade  when  you  go  out." 
11 


242  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  No,  no,"  said  Barbara,  who  seemed  terrified.  "  I  can 
bide  it — perhaps  I  will  not  use  it  often — " 

"  Why,"  said  Jess,  good-naturedly,  "  you  would  not  have 
such  a  fine  thing  as  that,  and  keep  it  locked  up  in  a  drawer  ? 
What  did  it  cost  you,  Barbara?" 

The  eyes  of  the  girl  looked  frightened  and  bewildered. 

"The  cost?"  she  repeated;  "the  cost — it  was  fifteen  shil- 
lings." 

"  Well,  that  is  a  good  deal  of  money — " 

"  No,  it  was  twelve  shillings,"  Barbara  broke  in,  in  a  breath- 
less kind  of  way.  "  I  have  not  paid  for  it  yet — it  is  to-mor- 
row that  I  am  to  pay  for  it — the  twelve  shillings." 

"And  even  that,"  said  Jess,  laughing  —  though  she  was 
still  unable  to  account  for  her  cousin's  confusion  and  dis- 
tress— "even  that  is  a  good  deal  to  pay  for  something  you 
mean  to  keep  locked  up  in  a  drawer.  It  is  not  a  good  in- 
vestment, Barbara.  I  think  you  would  be  better  with  the 
money.  A  sunshade  is  not  quite  the  right  thing  to  lay  up 
for  a  rainy  day,  is  it  ?" 

"  But  you  will  not  tell  your  mother,  Jessie  ?"  Barbara  de- 
manded, quickly. 

"  Oh  no,"  Jess  responded.  "  If  it  is  a  secret,  it  is  a  secret. 
But  I  do  not  understand  why  you  should  have  bought  such 
an  expensive  thing,  only  to  cover  it  up  in  a  drawer.  Barbara, 
you  are  a  spendthrift — that  is  what  you  are." 

"  Do  not  speak  of  it  to  any  one,  Jessie,"  the  girl  said,  in  a 
low  voice.     "  There  is  no  use  in  speaking  of  it." 

And  with  that  she  lowered  the  gas,  and  the  two  girls  re- 
turned to  the  parlor  and  to  their  respective  occupations: 
Barbara  silent  and  constrained — Jess,  though  without  any 
deep  pondering  on  the  subject,  remaining  somewhat  puzzled. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 
A    HALF-HOLIDAY    AND    THEREAFTER 

When  at  length  the  new  links  were  completed  and  thrown 
open  to  the  members  of  the  golfing  club,  the  councillor  and 
the  station-master  managed  to  secure  a  vacant  couple  of 
hours  for  their  longed-talked-of  match  ;  while  Mrs.  Gilmour 
and  Jess  Macleau — Barbara  having  declined — had  been  per- 
suaded to  accompany  them,  to  spur  them  on  to  honorable 
emulation.  And  auspicious  and  exhilarating  was  the  morn- 
ing on  which  they  left  the  town  and  climbed  away  up  to  the 
breezy  heights  on  which  the  greens  and  the  teeing-grounds 
had  been  carefully  planned  out ;  the  surrounding  undulations 
of  larch-wood  were  stirring,  and  yet  no  more  than  stirring,  in 
the  soft  summer  air;  the  peaks  of  Ben  Cruachan,  clear  to  the 
top,  were  of  a  faint  and  transparent  azure  in  the  luminous  sil- 
ver skies.  Peter  of  course  rose  to  such  an  occasion ;  he  was 
emphatically  insisting  on  the  value  of  physical  exercise ;  he 
made  merry  jests  at  the  expense  of  the  tall,  grim,  red-haired 
station-master ;  he  playfully  wanted  to  know  what  reward  the 
fair  spectators  had  in  store  for  the  victor  in  the  contest.  Nay, 
as  now  falls  to  be  related,  his  high  spirits  eventfully  got  the 
better  of  him,  and  landed  him  in  a  predicament  the  like  of 
which  it  is  to  be  hoped  no  golfer  had  ever  before  encountered. 

For  Mr.  McFadyen  had  been  over  the  links,  whereas  the 
station-master  had  not ;  and  accordingly,  when  they  had  se- 
cured the  services  of  a  caddie,  the  councillor  undertook  to 
lead  the  way  and  show  his  friendly  enemy  the  whereabouts 
of  the  holes.     His  first  drive  was  an  excellent  one. 

"  That's  something  like,  now — if  you  keep  that  up  you'll 
do,"  Gilmour  cried,  encouragingly — though  the  remark  seemed 
rather  to  reflect  on  previous  performances. 

"  I'll  bet  ye  half  a  crown  on  this  hole  !"  interposed  the 
councillor,  in  a  taunting  fashion. 


244  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Away  wi'  your  half-crowns !"  the  other  said,  with  con- 
tempt. "  It  would  be  wiser-like  if  ye'd  walk  on,  and  keep 
an  eye  on  my  ball." 

This  Peter  proceeded  to  do,  though  with  what  secret 
thoughts  —  whether  of  mere  devilment  or  of  deliberate  re- 
venge— will  probably  never  be  known.  He  went  away  for- 
ward and  got  on  to  the  top  of  a  knoll ;  with  word  and  gest- 
ure he  indicated  the  whereabouts  of  the  green ;  and  then  he 
waited  for  the  station-master's  drive.  This  was  also  an  ex- 
cellent one;  the  ball  came  sailing  and  sailing  along,  trium- 
phantly clearing  a  wide  extent  of  rushy  ground  that  might  have 
proved  a  formidable  hazard  ;  until  finally,  out  of  sight  of 
everybody  but  the  councillor,  it  landed  in  a  slight  hollow, 
fair  on  the  way  to  the  hole.  What  followed  was  remarka- 
ble. Mr.  McFadycn,  instead  of  remaining  by  his  own  ball 
and  waiting  until  the  others  came  up,  now  walked  quickly 
across  to  where  the  station  -  master's  ball  had  fallen ;  he 
picked  up  that  small  white  sphere,  and  slipped  it  into  his 
pocket;  and  when  his  companions  arrived,  he  was  diligently 
striking  with  his  club  at  patches  of  ragwort,  and  hunting  all 
about. 

"  Dod,"  said  he,  seriously,  "  I  could  ha'  sworn  your  ball  fell 
just  here,  Jamie — it  must  be  in  the  weeds  somewhere — it's 
just  extraordinary  how  a  ball  gets  covered  sometimes — and  the 
next  day  you'll  find  it  easily  enough — lying  in  the  open — " 

They  were  all  looking  about  now — the  station-master  in- 
clined to  In'  angry  at  this  unexpected  check. 

"  Ye  might  have  kept  an  eye  on  it,  man  !"  he  said  to  the 
councillor. 

"But  I  did  I"  retorted  Peter.  "I  tell  ye  1  saw  it  fall  just 
about  here — " 

"  Aye,  and  did  ye  observe  the  earth  open  and  swallow  it 
up?"  demanded  the  long,  thin,  fiery  -headed  man,  peevishly. 
"A  fine  one  you  arc  to  keep  an  eye  on  a  hall!" 

"  You'd  better  find  it  anyway,1'  remarked  Peter,  with  great 
composure,  "  or  the  hole's  mine." 

They  could  not  find  the  ball:  they  pried  and  prodded; 
they  kicked  at  the  little  clumps  of  ragwort;  they  pressed 
their  foot  on  the  long  grass.  And  meanwhile  the  councillor 
was  jeering : 


A    HALF-HOLIDAY    AND    THEREAFTER  245 

"Jamie,  my  man,  if  ye  lose  five  minutes  for  every  drive 
ye  make,  it's  little  ye'll  see  of  the  twelve  -  twenty  train  the 
clay." 

"  I  give  ye  the  hole,"  the  station-master  said,  snappishly. 
"  Let's  get  on  to  the  next  teeing-ground." 

And  again  the  small  group  moved  on — Jess  openly  sym- 
pathizing with  the  station-master  over  his  misfortune.  For 
she  could  not  but  observe  that  there  was  about  Mr.  McFad- 
yen  a  look  of  mysteriously  reticent  diversion ;  he  did  not  say 
anything,  but  his  eyes  were  covertly  amused  and  laughing ; 
while  his  face  remained  portentously  grave.  She  did  not 
think  it  becoming  that  he  should  inwardly  rejoice  over  the 
misadventure  of  a  lost  ball. 

They  reached  the  next  teeing-ground,  and  here  Peter  gave 
his  antagonist  general  directions  as  to  the  lie  of  the  second 
hole,  betwixt  which  and  them  ran  at  right  angles  a  consid- 
erably high  stone- wall.  Clearly  the  object  of  the  opening 
drive  was  to  get  well  over  this  dangerous  obstruction ;  and 
the  councillor,  having  the  "  honor,"  got  away  in  capital  style. 

"Ye're  doing  fine,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  the  station-mas- 
ter's wife,  approvingly  —  and  unmindful  of  her  husband's 
morose  looks. 

"  Sometimes  I'm  better  than  at  other  times,"  the  council- 
lor responded,  modestly.  And  then  he  gave  a  sharp  little 
snort  of  a  giggle,  without  apparent  cause. 

It  was  now  Gilmour's  turn  ;  and  it  was  obvious  that  he 
meant  to  secure  this  next  hole,  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  He 
was  most  cautious  about  the  tee  ;  he  patted  down  the  ground 
behind  it ;  he  took  a  long  look  forward ;  he  raised  his  club 
slowly,  and  then  down  it  came  with  a  slashing  "  swipe  ;" 
away  went  the  ball  in  a  beautiful  curve,  the  size  of  it  dwin- 
dling and  dwindling  until  it  disappeared. 

"  You're  no  over,  Jamie,"  remarked  the  councillor. 

"Not  over?"  the  station-master  rejoined,  angrily.  "I'm 
over,  and  half-way  up  the  other  side." 

"  You're  no  over,"  repeated  Peter,  with  confidence  ;  and 
again  they  moved  forward. 

Now  for  the  convenience  of  players  and  their  friends  the 
constructors  of  the  links  had  placed  a  flight  of  wooden  steps 
on  each  side  of  the  wall ;  and  this  little  party  of  four  were 


240  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

just  about  to  ascend  and  descend  when  the  unspeakable  coun- 
cillor, taking  from  his  pocket  the  ball  (the  station-master's) 
which  he  had  previously  picked  up,  managed  to  drop  it  un- 
seen, and  that  close  in  to  the  foot  of  the  stone  dike. 

"  Here,  Jamie,  man,"  he  called  to  his  foe.  "  Here  ye  are. 
Did  not  I  tell  ye  ye  did  not  get  over  ?" 

The  station-master  turned  and  stared.  There  certainly  was 
a  ball  lying  there. 

"  God  bless  me  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  I  would  have  bet  a  hun- 
dred pounds  I  was  over,  and  well  over.  Did  ye  not  think  I 
was  well  over,  Miss  Jessie  ?" 

"  Indeed,  then,  I  did,"  answered  Jess. 

"My  fine  chappie,  that's  all  the  length  ye've  got,"  the  coun- 
cillor maintained.     "  Take  up  the  ball,  and  look." 

There  could  be  no  doubt  about  it ;  for  whereas  Mr.  McFad- 
yen,  being  in  such  matters  of  an  economical  turn  of  mind, 
was  in  the  habit  of  using  remade  balls,  Gilmour  was  extrava- 
gant enough  to  treat  himself  to  the  genuine  Silvertown. 

"  I  never  saw  the  like — I  could  have  bet  a  thousand  pounds 
I  was  well  over !"  the  mortified  station-master  exclaimed  again. 
"  Well,  I  must  try  to  get  the  brute  over  somehow." 

Alas !  his  efforts  in  this  direction  were  a  series  of  ghastly 
failures;  his  score  mounted  up  dreadfully;  while  Peter  Mc- 
Fadycn,  throwing  all  decency  to  the  winds,  abandoned  him- 
self to  shrieks  and  roars  of  hysterical  laughter.  It  was  a  dis- 
graceful exhibition  ;  for  the  oftcner  Gilmour's  hall  struck  the 
dike,  rebounding  on  the  hither  side,  the  more  incontinent  be- 
came Peter's  mirth  ;  his  doubled-up  frame  shook  with  his 
wild  guffaws;  he  dashed  the  fist  of  one  hand  into  the  palm 
of  the  other;  tears  were  running  down  his  checks. 

"  Oh,  Jamie,  Jamie,"  he  cried,  "  if  ye  hammer  long  enough, 
ye'll  have  the  wall  down  ;  but  over  it  ye'll  not  get  this  day." 

Nevertheless,  the  incensed  and  savage  station-master  did  at 
length  succeed  in  surmounting  this  hateful  obstacle ;  and  then 
it  was  that  the  couneillor, getting  over  the  dike,  forged  rapidly 
•  >ii  ahead.  Apparently  he  was  looking  for  his  ball;  and  one. 
ball  he  certainly  did  find — a  ball  that  he  swiftly  and  furtively 
slipped  into  his  pocket;  then  he  continued  his  search,  until 

he  joyfully  called  out: 

"  Yes,  here  I  am.     Where  are  you,  Jamie?" 


A    HALF-HOLIDAY    AND    THEREAFTER  247 

"  I  may  as  well  give  up  this  hole  too,"  said  the  station- 
master,  gloomily. 

"  No,  no,  never  say  die !"  rejoined  the  councillor,  in  whose 
twinkling  eyes  there  was  still  a  dark  and  inscrutable  merri- 
ment.    "  Maybe  you'll  beat  me  on  the  green,  after  all." 

"  Beat  you  on  the  green — when  I'm  nine  already  !"  the  sta- 
tion-master growled.  Indeed  he  had  no  chance  at  all ;  for  as 
it  turned  out,  the  councillor  got  on  to  the  green  with  his  next 
stroke;  and  by  a  perfectly  marvellous  "put"  holed  out  in 
three.  The  station-master's  wife  and  Jess  were  unstinted  in 
their  applause. 

And  now  it  was  that  the  victorious  McFayden  found  him- 
self in  the  predicament  which  was  the  natural  and  fitting  re- 
quital of  his  infamy.  It  is  quite  possible  that  he  had  intended 
confessing  the  double  trick  he  had  so  shamefully  played  on 
the  station-master,  and  proposing  that  they  should  go  back 
and  start  fair  from  the  beginning ;  but  now — now  that  he  had 
won  the  second  hole  in  three — now  that  he  had  received  the 
congratulations  of  the  spectators — now  that  there  was  a  chance 
of  his  making  a  splendid  score — the  temptation  to  silence  was 
terrible.  The  only  point  was :  Had  the  sharp-eyed  caddie 
noticed  his  picking  up  Gilmour's  ball,  and  his  subsequently 
depositing  it  at  the  foot  of  the  dike  ?  Would  the  imp  go 
away  among  his  fellows  and  tell  the  tale  ?  Would  they  talk 
amongst  themselves  about  the  "  cheating  man" — and  perhaps, 
some  day,  reveal  the  story  to  one  of  the  members  ?  These 
were  wild  and  whirling  thoughts ;  and  yet  there  was  no  time 
for  deliberation;  Peter  had  again  to  lead  off;  and  his  com- 
panions were  already  on  the  teeing-ground.  The  councillor 
went  forward  and  took  up  his  position ;  the  caddie  made  a 
tee  for  him  and  carefully  placed  the  ball;  the  spectators  were 
all  attention.  And  even  now,  at  this  last  moment,  if  he  had 
made  a  bad  stroke,  he  would  probably  have  owned  up,  and 
insisted  on  beginning  all  over  again ;  but  unfortunately  he 
led  off  with  a  magnificent  drive ;  to  sacrifice  such  a  fascinat- 
ing chance  of  the  third  hole  would  be  too  heart-rending; 
without  a  word  —  just  as  if  everything  had  been  fair,  square, 
and  above-board — he  waited  for  the  station-master  to  follow. 
And  this  third  hole  also  Peter  won  easily. 

"  Well,  indeed,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  Jessie,  "  you  are  cai*- 


248  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

rying  everything  before  you  to-day.  I  think  you  must  have 
been  concealing  your  skill  all  this  time." 

He  glanced  at  her  quickly  and  nervously  ;  but  there  was  no 
guile  in  Jess's  honest  gray  eyes. 

"  Oh,  I  know  something  of  the  game,"  said  he  ;  "I  admit  I 
know  a  little  of  the  game — but  I'm  not  always  at  my  best." 

The  strange  thing  was  that,  although  success  continued  to 
reward  his  efforts,  and  that  in  quite  a  remarkable  manner,  his 
spirits  did  not  rise  in  proportion ;  there  was  no  more  wild 
laughter  over  Gilmour's  disappointment ;  there  was  no  bravado 
on  the  putting-green.  Occasionally,  when  his  triumphant 
career  was  winning  general  approval,  he  would  turn  suddenly 
and  scan  the  face  of  the  caddie  ;  but  that  phlegmatic  youth 
returned  no  answering  glance  ;  if  he  had  seen  that  which  he 
ought  not  to  have  seen,  he  made  no  sign.  And  so  the  game 
went  on  ;  and  fortune  all  the  way  through  favored  the  unjust ; 
Gilmour  was  hopelessly  beaten ;  Peter  was  the  hero  of  the 
hour — though  he  bore  his  honors  with  unusual  modesty. 

When  at  length  they  reached  the  little  wooden  shanty  be- 
longing to  the  club,  Gilmour,  his  wife,  and  Jess  remained 
outside,  while  the  caddie  went  inside  to  hang  up  the  bags. 
Mr.  McFaTlyen,  observing  his  opportunity,  slipped  in  after  him. 

"Well,  my  lad,"  said  he,  in  an  off-hand  and  merry  way — 
and  he  pretending  to  be  tightening  up  a  leather  strap — "  that 
was  a  fine  trick,  wasn't  it  ?" 

The  eyes  of  the  youth  answered  with  a  blank  stare,  which 
so  far  was  a  comforting  thing.  But  Peter  was  determined  to 
make  sure. 

"  A  good  joke,  wasn't  it — at  the  two  first  holes  ?"  said  he, 
encouragingly. 

And  again  there  was  a  blank  stare;  no  hideous  and  self- 
conscious  grin.  A  heavy  weight  seemed  to  be  removing  it- 
self from  Peter's  sinful  soul. 

"  Why,   don't  ye   remember,"  he    said,  with   quite   blithe 

hypocrisy — "don't  ye  remember  the  hash  Mr.  Gil iir  made 

of  it  at  the  dike?  A  great  joke  that  was;  Til  be  bound  ye 
don't  often  Bee  such  an  angry  man.  Well,  here's  an  extr-a 
shilling  For  ye;  ye  need  not  say  anything  about  it,  for  it's 
against  the  rules  ;  but  a  discreet  tongue  is  just  the  best,  thing 
a  decent,  quiet,  Bensible  laddie  like  you  can  have." 


A    HALF-HOLIDAY     AND    THEREAFTER  249 

And  therewith  he  went  out  and  rejoined  his  companions ; 
and  as  they  walked  away  across  the  heights  and  down  tow- 
ards the  town,  the  chubby  and  cheerful  councillor  was  more 
like  his  natural  self.  At  times,  indeed,  a  thoughtful  shade 
would  come  over  his  face — perhaps  the  small  still  voice  was 
reminding  him  how  he  had  basely  deceived  these  trusting 
friends ;  but  then  again  the  glory  of  being  the  conqueror — 
the  delight  of  having  so  thoroughly  routed  the  station-mas- 
ter— the  sweet  praises  from  smiling  lips — all  combined  to 
stifle  his  conscience,  until  he  appeared  actually  to  rejoice  in 
his  iniquity.  When  finally  they  parted  to  go  their  several 
ways,  Peter  was  laughing  without  and  within  ;  never  had  he 
seen  Jamie  Gilmour  so  completely  crestfallen. 

It  was  seldom  at  this  busy  time  of  the  year  that  Jess 
Maclean  allowed  herself  the  luxury  of  even  a  half -holiday; 
and  to  make  up  for  the  morning  on  the  links  she  was  de- 
voting the  evening  to  her  account-books,  when  a  tapping  at 
the  parlor  door  announced  a  visitor.  She  looked  up.  It  was 
the  school-master.  But  the  sunlight  that  leaped  into  her  face 
— and  especially  into  her  eyes — at  the  mere  sight  of  him, 
soon  vanished  when  she  heard  his  news. 

"  It's  a  great  chance  for  me,"  he  said,  in  an  absent  kind  of 
way,  when  he  had  explained  the  offer  of  a  travelling-tutor- 
ship that  had  been  made  him ;  "  and  I  owe  it  to  the  kindness 
of  Professor  Menzies,  who  was  always  very  friendly  towards 
me  when  I  was  in  Glasgow.  Two  years  of  European  travel 
— all  expenses  paid — and  a  handsome  salary  besides ;  I  never 
could  have  dreamed  of  such  a  chance.  And  the  young  gen- 
tleman, I  am  told,  is  a  most  modest,  good-natured,  well-man- 
nered lad — " 

"  Oh,  as  for  that,"  said  Jess,  who,  even  in  her  dismay  at 
the  prospect  of  this  long  separation,  could  not  forego  her 
gibes — "  as  for  that,  if  there  is  to  be  any  bear-leading,  I 
know  which  of  you  will  be  the  bear." 

"  No,  1  never  dreamed  of  such  a  chance,"  he  went  on, 
"  when  I  was  cutting  out  pictures  of  the  capitals  of  Europe, 
and  pasting  them  in  a  scrap-book,  and  wondering  whether 
my  small  savings  and  a  few  weeks'  holiday  would  ever  carry 
me  to  those  places.  Of  course,  there  will  be  the  giving  up 
11* 


250  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

of  my  classes ;  and  that  will  be  a  sacrifice  ;  for  I  am  inter- 
ested in  many  of  the  lads — their  eagerness,  their  determina- 
tion, is  something  fine — "  He  stopped  short.  "  I  beg  your 
pardon,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  he  said,  humbly,  "  for  bothering  you 
about  my  poor  affairs — they're  of  little  enough  concern  to 
any  one — " 

"  Allan  Henderson,  I  wonder  to  hear  ye  !"  exclaimed  the 
little  widow ;  and  then  she  proceeded,  with  considerable 
warmth  :  "  Concern  ?  I  should  think  they  were  of  very  near 
concern  to  us.  And  what  is  this  you  are  talking  of  now  but 
two  years'  banishment — nothing  but  two  years'  banishment 
— away  among  a  lot  of  heathens,  with  their  concerts  and 
dancing  and  theatres  on  the  blessed  Sabbath  day.  I'm  think- 
ing it  would  be  sensiblerlike  of  you  to  stay  among  your  own 
folk,  and  wi'  your  own  kith  and  kin  ;  and  be  thankful  for  the 
opportunities.  But  well  I  know,"  she  continued,  with  an 
indignant  look  towards  her  daughter — "  well  I  know  who  is 
driving  you  to  this.  It's  none  but  Jess  there,  that  has  her 
head  filled  wi'  flighty  notions,  and  will  not  let  things  be,  but 
would  have  ye  go  away  among  strangers — " 

"  Mother  !"  said  Jess,  in  protest — and  tears  sprang  to  her 
eyes.  "  If  ever  I  said — that  Allan  should  go  away  from 
among  us — at  least — it  was  with  no  thought  or  wish  that 
harm  should  come  to  him — " 

She  was  not  a  very  emotional  young  woman  ;  but  at  this 
point  she  did  break  down  somewhat ;  and  to  hide  her  shame 
and  distress  she  rose  quickly  and  went  away  from  the  room. 
When  Allan,  after  a  few  minutes  more  of  talk  with  the  widow, 
bade  her  good-night  and  passed  into  the  front  shop,  he  found 
.less  Bitting  there,  shy,  embarrassed,  and  silent. 

"  Indeed,  Jessie,"  said  he,  "  I'm  very  sorry  you  should 
have  been  hurt.  Your  mother  did  not  mean  anything.  And 
if  1  am  going  away,  you  know  very  well  what  it  is  that  is 
driving  me  away." 

She  looked  up — the  gray  eyes  timid. 

"  I  can  see  there  is  no  hope  for  me  now,"  he  went  on,  in  a 
BOmbre  kind  "f  fashion.      "  If   I  were  a  rich  man,  it   might  lie 

different.     Have  you  noticed  that  about  Barbara,  Jessie? — 

how  easily  her  fancy  is  captivated  by  a  pretty  thing — some 
piece  of  dress — some  article  of  display,      'f  if  is  a  weakness, 


A    HALF-HOLIDAY    AND    THEREAFTER  251 

it  is  only  a  harmless  and  childish  weakness ;  it  is  not  very 
blamable.  A  beautiful  creature  like  that  must  know  that 
people  like  to  look  at  her ;  and  it  is  but  natural  for  her  to 
think  of  adornment ;  it  is  but  natural  she  should  wish  to  be 
admired.  And  if  I  were  a  rich  man,  perhaps  I  could  please 
her  that  way  ;  gratitude  is  very  near  to  affection  ;  perhaps  I 
could  win  her  regard  that  way.     But  as  it  is — " 

He  did  not  finish  the  sentence.  She  was  looking  at  him 
strangely  and  wistfully. 

"And  are  you  really  leaving  us,  Allan — and  for  two  long 
years  ?" 

"  I  cannot  remain  in  this  town,"  he  answered  her.  "  It 
has  become  an  absolute  hell  to  me — an  inconceivable  and 
unceasing  torture.  I  must  get  away — and  here  is  such  a 
chance  as  I  never  could  have  hoped  for.  But  in  two  years' 
time,  Jessie,"  he  continued,  heartening  himself  up  somewhat, 
"  one  will  have  forgotten  a  great  deal ;  and  when  I  come  back 
to  Duntroone,  the  very  first  thing  1  will  do  will  be  to  come 
in  here,  and  ask  for  you,  and  report  myself  sane.  And  this 
I  know  well,  that  I  shall  find  you  just  as  friendly  and  kindly 
as  ever  ;  just  as  unselfish  and  generous  as  ever.  For  it  is 
not  necessary  that  in  two  years'  time  one  should  forget  every- 
thing ;  and  that  is  what  I  am  not  likely  to  forget — your  gen- 
tleness and  your  goodness  and  your  toleration  of  a  thrawn 
and  thankless  wretch." 

Her  face  brightened  and  flushed  with  pleasure ;  it  was 
rarely  that  he  spoke  out  in  such  a  fashion.  And  she  had  it 
in  mind  to  ask  him  if  she  might  write  to  him  and  give  him 
the  Duntroone  news  when  he  was  away  in  the  great  and  busy 
capitals ;  but  at  this  moment  a  customer  entered  the  shop, 
whereupon  Allan  shook  hands  with  her,  and  bade  her  good- 
night, and  took  his  leave.  On  his  homeward  way  his  heart 
was  not  quite  so  heavy ;  a  chat  with  Jess — even  when  she 
was  in  a  spiteful  mood — was  a  reassuring,  inspiriting  sort  of 
thing  ;  and  he  could  not  but  be  grateful  to  her  for  the  solici- 
tude and  the  well-wishing  so  clearly  visible  in  her  kindly 
gray  eyes. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

AN     ASSIGNATION 

Events  were  now  clearly  marching  on  to  a  climax,  if  not  to 
a  catastrophe ;  though  these  various  personages,  occupied 
with  the  pressing  and  immediate  demands  of  every-day  life, 
may  not  themselves  have  perceived  it.  Barbara  had  most 
time  for  reflection,  if  that  could  be  called  reflection  that  was 
more  like  the  frantic  struggling  of  some  wild  animal  with  an 
environing  net.  And  it  was  in  these  dark  hours  of  reverie, 
with  their  clinging  hopes,  their  piteous  longings,  and  some- 
times their  bitter  and  fierce  resentment,  that  she  at  length 
arrived  at  a  definite  resolve  ;  she  would  remain  in  this  anguish 
of  doubt  no  longer ;  she  would  force  the  hand  of  fate,  let 
come  what  might.  As  it  chanced,  the  opportunity  was  soon 
enough  to  present  itself. 

For  there  now  appeared  in  Duntroone  a  certain  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  McKechnie,  who  were  in  some  distant  way  related  to  the 
Macleans.  Mr.  McKechnie  was  a  manufacturer  of  aerated 
waters  in  Greenock,  a  well-to-do  man,  ami  a  person  of  con- 
sequence in  the  eyes  of  the  widow  ;  and  when  the  McKechnies 
came  along  to  the  tobacconist's  shop  to  pay  a  friendly  visit, 
and  to  propose  that  both  mother  and  daughter  should  dine 
with  them  that  evening  at  the  Commercial  Hotel,  the  invita- 
tion was  accepted  with  alacrity.  Then  something  was  said 
about  Barbara — for  Mrs.  Maclean  was  ever  mindful  of  her 
kith  and  kin;  and  the  soda-water  man  at  once  and  generously 
said  that  she  must  also  be  of  the  party.  So  when  Jess  went 
across  to  the  house  for  her  mid-day  meal,  she  made  sure  that 
Barbara  would  be  highly  pleased. 

To  her  astonishment,  however,  she  found  that  Barbara,  as 
soon  as  she  had  ascertained  that    Mrs.  Maclean  ami  .less  were 

to  spend  the  evening  at,  the  Commercial  Hotel  —  Barbara  ob- 
durately refused  to  go,  and  would  not  be  persuaded. 


AN    ASSIGNATION  253 

"  Why,"  said  Jess,  laughing,  "  I  thought  it  was  just  what 
would  delight  you,  Barbara  !  The  chance  of  seeing  the  gay 
world — and  of  wearing  your  best  things — " 

"  I  have  a  lot  to  do,"  said  Barbara,  hurriedly  and  con- 
fusedly. "  And  my  head  is  not  very  well  to-day — I  would 
rather  stay  at  home.  What  hour  will  it  be  before  you  are 
back,  Jessie  ?" 

"  Ob,  well,"  said  Jess,  "  Mr.  McKechnie  thinks  a  good  deal 
of  himself,  and  he  is  very  fond  of  talking ;  and  if  he  has  a 
private  room,  and  some  toddy,  he  may  keep  us  till  half-past 
ten  or  eleven." 

"You  will  not  be  back  before  half-past  ten,  anyway?"  Bar- 
bara asked  again. 

"  It  is  not  likely,"  said  Jess — attaching  no  weight  to  the 
question. 

All  that  afternoon,  whatever  her  duties  happened  to  be, 
Barbara  would  from  time  to  time  take  out  from  her  pocket  a 
scrap  of  paper  and  anxiously  scrutinize  the  words  scribbled  on 
it.  She  seemed  perturbed  and  restless;  occasionally  she 
would  desist  from  her  tasks  altogether,  and  lapse  into  pro- 
found meditation  ;  then  she  would  resume  her  work,  with  a 
heavy  sigh.  Or  again  she  would  take  out  the  fragment  of 
paper  and  tear  it  up,  substituting  for  it  another  scrap  with  a 
different  message  written  on  it.  The  finally  amended  words 
— carefully  transcribed  and  folded  and  placed  in  an  envelope 
— were  these  :  "  Will  you  meet  me  to-night  at  nine  o'clock,  at 
the  small  gate  under  the  Castle  Hill?  I  have  something  of 
importance  to  say  to  you. — Barbara." 

In  the  evening,  Mrs.  Maclean  and  Jess — leaving  the  girl 
Christina  in  charge  of  the  shop — came  over  to  get  ready  for 
their  dinner-party ;  and  directly  after  they  had  left  the  house, 
Barbara  also  stole  out.  It  was  a  beautiful  evening — a  golden 
evening  in  June ;  there  were  plenty  of  people  strolling  to  and 
fro,  and  the  quays  were  still  busy  ;  but  she  paid  little  heed  to 
what  was  passing  around  her  until  she  reached  the  South  Pier. 
The  Aros  Castle  was  now  coming  in ;  she  was  already  half- 
way across  the  bay ;  the  throb  of  her  paddles  was  repeated  in 
the  echoing  hollows  of  the  Gallows  Hill.  Barbara  got  hold  of 
a  small  boy  who  was  playing  with  his  companions  about  one 
of  the  wooden  sheds. 


254  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Do  you  know  Ogilvie,  the  purser  V  she  asked  of  him. 

"  Aye,  fine,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

"  Will  vou  take  this  letter  to  him  if  I  give  you  a  penny  ?" 

"  Aye.1' 

"  But  you'll  make  sure  that  you  give  it  to  himself  ?" 

"  Aye,"  said  the  urchin,  watching  for  the  unusual  coin. 

Lie  got  the  letter  and  the  penny  ;  the  Aros  Castle  came 
slowly  in  to  the  quay  ;  and  Barbara,  from  the  corner  of  the 
shed,  could  see  that  Ogilvie  was  on  the  upper  deck.  But  still 
she  waited  to  satisfy  herself  of  the  delivering  of  the  message 
— waited  until  the  steamer  had  been  made  fast — until  the 
passengers  had  come  ashore — until  she  saw  the  small  boy  go 
along  the  gangway  and  give  the  white  envelope  into  the  pur- 
ser's hands.  That  was  enough.  She  withdrew  from  her 
shelter  so  that  she  herself  could  not  be  perceived ;  she  hur- 
ried round  by  the  harbor;  and  when  she  reached  home  again, 
she  sank  into  a  chair,  and  remained  there  a  long  time,  think- 
ing back  as  to  what  she  had  done.  But  presently  she  had  to 
think  forward — as  the  clock  on  the  mantel-piece  reminded  her 
troubled  and  anxious  eyes ;  and  she  went  away  to  her  room 
to  array  herself  in  her  best.  As  she  stood  before  the  mirror 
her  fingers  were  shaking  so  that  she  could  hardly  hold  a  pin. 

At  half-past  eight  or  thereabouts  she  again  left  the  house, 
and,  taking  advantage  of  such  back  approaches  as  were  avail- 
able, she  made  for  the  point  at  which  the  grounds  of  Dun- 
troone  ( lastle  conic  nearly  up  to  the  last  of  the  gardened  villas. 
Farther  than  this  point  there  is  no  right  of  way  ;  but  an  oc- 
casional stranger  passing  along  by  the  rocks  is  not  much  ob- 
jected to ;  and  it  was  by  the  rocks  that  she  now  proceeded — 
before  her  the  sheltered  little  hay,  beyond  that  the  old-fash- 
ioned garden  beneath  the  Castle  Hill,  and,  towering  over  all, 
the  ruined  keep,  dark  with  its  ivy  against  the  splendor  of  the 
west.  For  although  the  sun  had  gone  down  behind  the  moun- 
tains at,  this  time  of  the  year  in  those  latitudes,  the  marvellous 
twilights  may  he  said  to  last  almost  the  night  through  ;  and 
even  now,  as  the  solitary  figure  went  along  by  the  shelving 
beach, there  was  a  glory  around  her — all  the  world  was  aflame- 

with  Color.  And  then  as  she  drew  near  to  the  wind-stunted 
trees  at  the  fool  of  the  Castle  llock,  the  jet-black  stems  and 
Sombre   foliage   served    hut   to   increase  the  brilliancy  of  the 


AN    ASSIGNATION  255 

western  heavens ;  these  were  as  a  wide  sea  of  clear  and  luminous 
steel  gray,  with  long  cloud-islands  of  pale  rose-purple,  whose 
golden  strands  looked  down  upon  the  unseen  horizon.  Over- 
head the  skies  were  of  a  faint  and  exquisite  azure,  flecked  here 
and  there  with  vaporous  fragments  of  saffron  hue,  that  ap- 
peared as  if  they  could  still  behold  the  sunset  fires.  And  in 
the  east  the  wooded  hills  were  all  aglow. 

She  opened  the  small  wicket-gate,  and  stepped  in  under  the 
dense  canopy  of  leaves ;  from  this  shadowed  retreat,  herself 
unobserved,  she  could  look  back  over  the  way  she  had  come 
— by  the  out-jutting  rocks,  and  round  the  semicircular  sweep 
of  the  shore.  It  was  a  peaceful  and  secluded  scene;  there 
was  not  a  sign  of  life  anywhere;  an  occasional  sound,  that 
spoke  of  distant  human  habitation,  was  softened  and  remote. 
But  there  was  another  sound,  all  around  her,  and  especially 
out  towards  the  west :  the  mysterious  murmur  of  the  moving 
tides,  as  if  the  islands  were  talking  to  each  other  of  the  com- 
ing darkness — the  strange  clear  darkness  that  would  later  on 
melt  into  the  white  dawn.  As  yet  there  was  no  token  of 
change.  The  saffron  flakes  of  cloud  were  still  lambent  in  the 
azure  vault ;  the  hanging  woods,  of  beech  and  ash  and  fir, 
glowed  warm  above  the  tranquil  waters  of  the  bay. 

Surely  it  was  a  fitting  time  and  place  for  a  meeting  of 
lovers ;  and  yet  Barbara,  gazing  across  those  placid  waters, 
began  to  tremble  at  the  thought  of  seeing  the  single  figure 
she  was  looking  for  appear  at  the  verge  of  the  rocks.  What 
she  had  done  she  had  done  in  a  sort  of  desperation  ;  but  now, 
as  minute  after  minute  seemed  to  bring  him  nearer,  she  grew 
more  and  more  vaguely  apprehensive ;  until  at  times  a  wild 
impulse  would  seize  her  to  turn  and  flee  away  through  the 
woods  and  hide  herself,  and  make  good  her  return  to  Dun- 
troone  by  some  circuitous  route.  And  then  again  she  had 
already  dared  so  much.  And  if  she  were  to  escape  now  and 
get  home  in  safety,  would  not  to-morrow  be  but  as  yesterday 
— with  its  agonizing  consciousness  that  she  could  not  speak 
with  Ogilvie  except  on  the  deck  of  a  crowded  steamer,  with 
strangers  all  around,  and  himself  liable  to  be  called  away  hither 
and  thither?  whereas  here,  in  this  gracious  solitude  and 
silence,  there  would  be  the  charm  and  magnetism  of  personal 
appeal,  eyes  answering  eyes,  and  speech,  no  longer  cold  and 


25G  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

conventional,  attuned  to  every  varying  mood.  The  anticipa- 
tion of  this  meeting  made  her  heart  beat  violently  ;  and  when 
her  straining  eyes  fancied  they  could  detect  a  dark  figure  out 
at  the  rocky  promontory,  her  whole  frame  shivered.  And 
yet  she  held  her  ground.  Her  lips  were  dry ;  her  breathing 
came  and  went  with  difficulty,  as  if  there  were  some  weight 
on  her  chest. 

Of  a  sudden  she  uttered  a  sharp,  half-stifled  scream  of 
terror,  and  wheeled  round,  for  some  one  had  noiselessly  and 
stealthily  approached  her  from  behind.  It  was  Niall  Gorach. 
And  the  moment  she  recognized  who  this  was,  her  fear  gave 
way  to  wrath. 

"  Is  it  a  weasel  you  are,  that  you  come  stealing  through  the 
woods  like  that  ?"  she  said  to  him  in  Gaelic ;  and  the  beau- 
tiful eyes  were  now  blazing  with  anger.  "  What  is  it  you 
want?" 

He  regarded  her  doubtfully. 

"I  have  two  rabbits,"  he  said,  also  in  Gaelic;  "I  have  them 
back  there  in  the  bushes." 

"  Away  with  you,  you  imp  of  mischief  !"  she  said.  "  Is  it 
I  that  would  be  wishing  for  two  rabbits?" 

"  You  could  hide  them  in  your  dress,"  said  he,  in  an  under- 
tone, and  he  was  intently  watching  the  expression  of  her  face. 
"They  arc  for  the  other  girl — the  one  that  was  kind  to  me. 
You  could  take  them  into  the  town,  and  give  them  to  her  in 
the  shop — no  one  would  see  you." 

"(Jo  away — go  away  at  once!"  she  said,  with  frowning 
brows.  "  It  is  the  game-keeper  who  will  be  after  you  and 
your  rabbits — and  the  sooner  you  arc  in  jail  the  better." 

Xi.ill  needed  no  further  word  than  that,  lie  instantly  re- 
treated, by  the  way  he  came,  disappearing  through  the  trees 
and  bushes;  and  once  more  she  was  alone.  But  this  inter- 
ruption had  at  least  startled  her  out  of  the  tremulous,  appre- 
hensive, half-hysterical  mood  that  had  taken  possession  of 
her;  she  returned  to  her  post  of  observation  with  a  bolder 
spirit;  she  would  no  longer  he  afraid  if  she  saw  a  dark-clad 
figure  appear  at  the  point  of  the  rocks.  Nay,  it  was  some- 
thing quite  dilTerent  that  she  began  to  fear;  a  haunting  pos- 
sibility that  had  more  than  onee  crept  into  her  mind,  only  to 
be  dismissed  with  quick  alarm  and  trepidation.      And  now  it 


AN    ASSIGNATION  257 

would  recur  with  bewildering  distinctness.  Had  he  resolved 
to  treat  her  appeal  with  scorn?  Would  he  refuse  to  come 
near  her  ?  Would  he  revenge  himself  on  her  because  she  had 
been  the  innocent  cause  of  some  quarrelling  and  righting  be- 
tween him  and  the  school-master  ? 

No,  she  tried  to  persuade  herself,  it  was  inconceivable ;  he 
could  not  be  so  merciless  and  unjust.  He  would,  in  any  case, 
come  and  hear  what  she  had  to  say ;  it  was  the  smallest  grace 
he  could  accord  her ;  any  stranger  would  do  as  much.  And 
be  had  been  far  from  acting  the  stranger  towards  her.  He 
had  sought  her  society,  and  made  much  of  her  and  paid  her 
compliments  ;  it  was  no  stranger  who  had  entirely  devoted 
himself  to  her  on  the  evening  of  the  dance  given  by  the  Gae- 
lic Choir.  And  when  she  could  talk  face  to  face  with  him, 
here  in  the  happy  and  favoring  twilight,  it  would  be  otherwise 
with  them  both  than  on  the  open  passenger-deck  of  the  Aros 
Castle. 

Nevertheless,  as  the  time  went  slowly  and  remorselessly 
by,  a  pitiful  yearning  arose  in  her  heart.  It  could  not  be 
that  he  meant  to  forsake  her — that  he  meant  to  put  this  cruel 
slight  upon  her!  He  had  misread  the  hour.  He  had  been 
detained  by  friends.  Something  had  happened  to  hinder 
him,  perhaps  even  after  he  had  set  out.  Another  minute — 
another  couple  of  minutes  —  and  he  would  become  visible 
yonder  at  the  verge  of  the  rocks,  hastening  to  bring  apologies 
and  pacifications.  For  he  was  not  one  to  strike  a  woman — 
and  to  strike  deep. 

The  inexorable  moments  stole  on,  one  after  another — 
though  there  was  little  change  in  this  magic  world  of  light 
and  color  ;  and  now  that  piteous  craving  and  desire  had 
grown  to  be  an  aching  that  seemed  bitterer  than  death  itself. 
If  only  he  would  appear  in  sight  —  if  only  he  would  come 
along  by  the  shore  there,  no  matter  in  what  mood  of  impa- 
tience, of  sarcasm,  or  even  contempt — she  would  abase  herself 
before  him ;  she  would  plead  for  pardon ;  she  would  beg  for 
kindness.  She  knew  that  she  had  been  stiff-necked  and 
flighty  and  wayward ;  she  had  held  her  head  too  high ;  she 
had  taunted  him — when  he  was  not  to  blame.  But  now,  if 
only  he  would  come  to  her,  she  would  receive  his  reproaches 
with  meekness  ;  she  would  do  anything  he  wished  ;  she  Avould 


258  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

be  his  abject  slave.  Let  him  impose  his  demands,  and  she 
would  accede — only  he  could  not  mean  to  desert  her  forever ! 
Had  she  not  humbled  herself  already,  in  seeking  for  this  as- 
signation ?  And  life  was  a  pleasant  and  gay  thing  for  him ; 
he  could  not  wish  to  stab  her  to  the  heart. 

She  withdrew  her  eyes  from  the  distant  promontory,  and 
in  a  dazed  fashion  looked  around  her,  asking  what  time  of 
the  night  had  arrived.  There  was  no  darkness  nor  anything 
approaching  to  darkness,  as  yet.  The  heavens  overhead  had 
grown  to  be  of  the  rarest  rose-gray ;  all  the  fragments  of 
cloud  had  disappeared  ;  and  through  the  scarcely  moving 
leaves  of  the  trees  —  through  the  jet-black  steins  —  there 
gleamed  the  vivid  and  burning  gold  of  a  crescent  moon.  And 
still  the  creeping  tides  along  the  coast  murmured  and  whispered 
to  themselves  in  the  silence  ;  but  elsewhere  all  was  still ;  not 
the  faintest  sound  came  from  the  unseen  Duntroone.  She 
judged  that  she  had  waited  there  an  hour ;  it  must  be  now 
ten  o'clock. 

Then  suddenly  a  strange  pallor  overspread  her  features,  and 
her  mouth  was  set  hard.  She  pushed  open  the  small  gate  in 
front  of  her,  and  passed  out  into  the  clear  twilight.  With 
head  erect — and  not  looking  in  the  direction  of  the  rocks  at 
all  —  she  continued  on  her  way,  along  by  the  wall  of  the  old 
garden,  and  round  by  the  curve  of  the  shore.  It  is  true  that 
there  were  tears  in  her  lashes;  but  they  were  tears  of  rage 
and  mortification;  they  were  not  bidden  there,  nor  did  they 
betoken  any  weakness  or  self-pity.  Uer  naturally  proud  gait 
had  no  lassitude  in  it — though  she  had  been  standing  under 
those  trees  for  nigh  an  hour. 

Nay,  when  Mrs.  Maclean  and  Jess  came  home,  they  found 
Barbara  in  a  mood  of  most  unusual  sprightliness  and  content. 
She  would  make  tea  for  them — she  would  insist  on  making 
lea  for  them,  though  neither  of  them  wanted  it  ;  and  as  she 
win)  about  the  parlor,  she  was  singing  to  herself.  She  had 
hut,  little  of  a  voice,  to  be  sure;  nevertheless,  it.  was  well  that 
tie-  -ill  should  be  of  a  light  heart;  and  Mrs.  Maclean  listened 
,  pleased  and  keiiignant : 

" '  Ifr  gave  me  ribli<»<s  for  my  neck. 
Ami  si<l<  combs  for  my  hair, 


"  '  IT  WOULD  BE   A  STRANGE  THING  IF  I  WAS  THINKING  OF   ANY   ONE  LIKE   THAT  '  " 


AN  ASSIGNATION  259 

He  gave  mc  ear-rings  for  my  eai's, 

With  pearl-drops  rich  and  rare  ; 
No  wonder  that  I  love  my  lad 

That's  sailing  the  salt  sea — ' " 

"  Aye,"  said  the  shrewd  little  widow,  in  her  kindliest 
manner,  "  and  is  that  the  purser  you  are  singing  about,  Bar- 
bara ?" 

Barbara  turned  round  and  stared,  as  bold  as  brass. 

"  The  purser  ?"  she  said.  "  Do  you  mean  Ogilvie-^him 
that  Mr.  McFadyen  was  calling  an  empty-headed  dandy  ?  It 
would  be  a  strange  thing  indeed  if  I  was  thinking  of  any  one 
like  that !" 

And  she  went  on  with  her  ministrations,  affecting  to  sing 
blithely  and  carelessly.  The  widow,  not  understanding  what 
all  this  meant,  did  not  say  a  word. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
SUNLIGHT     ABROAD 

It  was  between  eleven  and  twelve  on  the  forenoon  of  the 
following  day  that  the  scholars  in  Allan  Henderson's  class 
were  aroused  from  the  weariful  monotony  of  their  toil  by  an 
amazing  apparition — for  the  advent  of  a  stranger  at  the  door 
of  the  hall  could  hardly  be  accounted  less.  Head  after  head 
was  surreptitiously  turned  until  the  whole  school  was  covertly 
staring  at  this  new-comer,  who  stood  there  irresolute  ;  the 
master  alone  remained  unconscious — he  was  working  out  on 
a  slate  before  him  some  arithmetical  problem,  while  two  or 
three  lads  clustered  around.  A  kind  of  hush  of  curiosity  had 
fallen  upon  the  dull,  gray  benches;  the  apparition  of  a  visitor 
was  an  almost  unprecedented  thing  ;  moreover,  this  visitor 
was  a  young  woman.  So  unusual,  indeed,  was  such  an  event 
that  no  one  knew  what  to  do ;  they  waited  for  the  master 
himself  to  find  out  that  a  caller  was  there. 

The  slate  was  handed  hack  to  its  owner;  at  the  same 
moment,  by  some  freak  of  chance,  Allan  Henderson  became 
aware  that  the  distant  doorway  framed  a  human  figure;  the 
next  instant-  his  startled  vision  had  told  him  who  this  was. 
At  once  and  hurriedly  he  quitted  the  narrow  platform,  passed 
down  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  went  out  upon  the  stone 
staircase,  whither  Barbara  had  retreated  as  soon  as  she  saw 
that  he  was  coming.  She  was  rather  breathless,  but  she  was 
trying  to  look  pleased;  the  bewilderment  was  all  on  his  side. 

"  When  will  you  be  leaving  the  school?"  she  said. 

'•  At  one  o'clock,"  he  answered  her — for  this  was  a  Satur- 
day. 

"Could  you  not  come  away  rather  earlier — about:  a  quarter 
to  one?"  she  said.  "  I  am  wishing  to  speak  to  you,  if  it  is 
not  too  much  troubled  My  aunt  she  was  telling  me  you  are 
thinking  of  going  away  from  this  country  for  two  years,  or 


SUNLIGHT    ABROAD  261 

the  like  of  that ;  and  she  was  saying  it  was  a  great  pity,  to 
be  going  away  from  your  own  people  and  your  friends ;  and 
maybe  you  have  not  considered  it.  If  you  would  come  for  a 
little  walk,  when  the  school  is  over,  then  there  would  be  the 
chance  of  talking  about  it — and  perhaps  you  will  not  go 
away  from  your  friends — " 

For  a  moment  he  was  speechless ;  he  could  hardly  believe 
his  senses.  Here,  in  the  dusk  of  the  stairway,  was  a  sort  of 
radiant  creature  ;  and  the  marvel  was  that  her  voice,  instead 
of  being  angry  and  taunting,  was  soft  and  ingratiating ;  while 
her  eyes,  no  longer  darting  scornful  flames,  were  quite  ami- 
able, with  a  modest  conciliatory  appeal  in  them.  She  was  a 
trifle  excited,  it  is  true ;  her  sentences  were  somewhat  discon- 
nected ;  but  there  was  nothing  save  good-will  in  her  aspect. 
Nay,  she  seemed  anxious  he  should  clearly  understand  that 
he  had  awakened  her  interest  and  sympathy  ;  her  looks,  timid 
as  they  might  be,  were  yet  smilingly  benignant;  he  could  not 
but  perceive  that  her  heart  was  warm  and  well-intentioned 
towards  him.  The  school-master  forgot  his  wondering  school; 
he  forgot  all  the  rest  of  the  universe — blinded  as  he  was  by 
those  beautiful,  appealing,  kindly  eyes. 

"  Indeed,  I  would  not  have  sought  to  bother  you  with  my 
poor  affairs,"  he  managed  to  say,  with  great  embarrassment — 
when  she  interrupted  him. 

"  But  you  can  come  a  little  before  one  ?"  she  asked,  quickly. 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  can  do  that — " 

"  And  I  will  be  waiting  for  you  in  front  of  the  railway 
station  —  we  could  have  a  little  walk  round  by  the  shore — 
and  by  the  Gallows  Hill — or  anywhere  you  pleased — " 

It  was  an  inconceivable  kind  of  thing ;  and  yet  surely  he 
had  heard  aright  ?  And  surely  nothing  could  exceed  the 
friendliness  of  her  manner  —  if  those  liquid,  clear-shining 
eyes  spoke  true  ? 

"I  hope  you  are  not  vexed  with  me  for  interrupting  you," 
she  said,  and  the  slight  hesitation  in  her  speech,  along  with 
its  accent,  was  like  music  in  his  ears ;  "  but  I  am  sure  it 
would  be  a  pity  if  you  went  away  from  your  own  country, 
without  a  little  consideration.  And  I  will  be  there,  waiting, 
if  it  is  not  too  much  trouble  for  you." 

"The  trouble?"  said  he — and  even  now  he  had  not  rccov- 


262  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

ered  from  his  stupefaction.  "  I  do  not  understand  why  you 
should  concern  yourself  about  me,  or  about  anything  that  is 
likely  to  happen  to  me.  I  cannot  understand  your  kind- 
ness.    But  I  will  meet  you  there — " 

"And  at  a  quarter  to  one?"  she  asked  again. 

"  Yes,  as  soon  as  that,  I  hope,"  he  answered  her.  And 
then,  without  bidding  him  good-bye,  but  with  a  parting 
glance  and  a  smile,  she  turned  and  left.  What  further  in- 
struction his  pupils  received  that  day  may  have  been  of  any 
sort;  it  was  little  he  knew.  There  was  much  that  was 
"taken  for  granted,"  so  as  to  hurry  on  ;  and  by  a  quarter  to 
one  he  had  dismissed  his  class,  and  was  himself  free  and  in 
the  outer  air. 

Yet  that  had  been  no  incorporeal  vision — no  trick  of  the 
brain  —  no  waking  day-dream  in  the  midst  of  the  weary 
hours;  for  now  as  he  drew  rapidly  near  the  railway  station 
he  could  see  the  actual  and  living  Barbara  undoubtedly  stand- 
ing there,  just  within  the  door  of  the  ticket-office,  where  she 
could  occupy  herself  in  watching  the  passers-by.  Moreover, 
it  was  also  clear  that  she  had  made  use  of  the  interval  to 
deck  herself  out  very  bravely  ;  and  did  not  that  mean  some- 
thing too?  A  wild  confusion  of  joy  arose  in  his  heart; 
he  thought  of  the  student's  phrase  in  Faust — "cine  Magd 
im  Putz ;"  surely  it  was  something  more  than  a  mere  friend- 
ly solicitude  about  his  immediate  plans  that  had  led  her  to 
array  herself  so  smartly  in  order  to  keep  this  appointment 
and  go  for  a  walk  with  him?  Nay,  when  she  became  con- 
scious of  his  approach,  the  soft  and  rare  shell  pink  of  her 
cheek  deepened;  it  was  with  a  pretty  bashfulness  that  she 
offered  him  her  hand;  and  quite  naturally  and  lover-like  she 
set  herself  by  his  side  to  accompany  him.  They  passed  out 
from  the  railway  station  and  took  their  way  round  by  the 
harbor;  but  in  truth  he  did  not  heed  which  direction  they 
followed  ;  it  was  enough  that  some  miracle  had  been  wrought 
— and  the  world  was  filled  with  sunlight. 

The  Btrange  thing  was  that,  although  she  had  made  this 
tryst,  with  him  ostensibly  to  discuss  his  future  Schemes,  now 
that  the  opportunity  had  arrived  she  had  not  a  word  to  say 
aboul  them.  She  was  talking  to  him,  it  is  true,  and  with 
UnUSUal    eagerness    and     vivacity  ;    she    was    addressing    him 


SUNLIGHT    ABROAD  263 

with  glances  as  well  as  with  speech;  she  was  smiling  and 
laughing,  and  apparently  she  was  greatly  delighted  to  have 
him  for  her  companion ;  but  all  through  this  light-hearted- 
ness  and  affectation  of  interest  there  was  a  forced  note.  Es- 
pecially as  they  drew  near  to  the  South  Quay — from  which 
the  Aros  Castle  was  just  about  to  depart — especially  then  did 
this  half-hysterical  merriment  become  more  pronounced — 
until  she  hardly  seemed  to  know  what  she  was  saying. 

"Oh  yes,  indeed,"  she  continued  —  and  never  once  were 
her  eyes  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  steamer — "yes,  in- 
deed— about  Mr.  McFadyen — the  poor  man  must  have  suffer- 
ed a  great  deal — before  he  was  driven  to  confess.  It  was  to 
Jessie  that  he  came  —  and  he  told  her  he  never  meant  to 
cheat — it  was  only  a  joke,  picking  up  Mr.  Gihnour's  ball — 
but  he  was  led  into  it — he  was  led  into  it ;  and  they  did  not 
notice  the  trick — and  so,  when  it  was  too  late,  he  let  them 
think  he  had  won  the  game  fairly." 

"And  how  long  did  his  conscience  slumber?"  the  school- 
master asked. 

"  Never  at  all — never  at  all,"  said  Barbara,  laughing  and 
giggling  in  that  curiously  excited  manner.  At  this  moment 
they  were  passing  along  the  quay,  close  to  the  shore  end  of 
the  gangway  ;  and  if  Barbara  scrupulously  kept  her  gaze  fixed 
on  the  ground  or  turned  towards  the  face  of  her  companion, 
Allan  Henderson  at  least  was  well  aware  that  the  purser,  on 
the  upper  deck  of  the  vessel,  was  staring  at  them  as  they 
went  by.  "  The  poor  man — I  am  sorry  for  him,"  Barbara 
went  on — and  her  feverish  gayety  sounded  far  from  natural. 
"  It  was  to  Jessie  that  he  came  first — to  confess — maybe  he 
was  not  able  to  sleep  at  nights  for  thinking  of  what  he  had 
done — and  he  was  asking  Jess  whether  he  ought  to  tell  Mr. 
Gilmour — or  maybe  it  was  enough  if  he  confessed  to  her — " 

"  And  did  she  grant  him  absolution,  Barbara?  Or  did  she 
impose  a  penance  ?"  asked  the  school-master,  lightly.  By  this 
time,  behind  them,  the  Aros  Castle  had  moved  away  from  the 
quay,  and  was  now  steaming  across  to  the  North  Pier.  Allan 
could  not  understand  why  Barbara  had  so  resolutely  ignored 
the  existence  of  the  purser;  perhaps  she  was  really  preoc- 
cupied with  this  tale  of  hers  about  the  dejection  of  the  con- 
science-stricken councillor.     Anyhow,  it  was  as  well  that  the 


264  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

steamer  had  gone  ;  there  would  be  no  fear  of  interruption 
now. 

But  presently,  when  they  had  got  past  the  quay  and  were 
approaching  the  Gallows  Hill,  her  mood  changed  ;  her  demon- 
strative hilarity  vanished  ;  she  had  nothing  further  to  tell  about 
the  councillor  and  his  remorse  ;  she  seemed  rather  inclined  to 
be  proud  and  morose  and  petulant. 

"  I  do  not  understand,"  she  said,  "  why  you  should  wish  to 
go  away  from  your  own  country." 

"  It  is  something  to  see  the  world,"  he  answered  her,  but 
with  no  great  enthusiasm  ;  how  easy  it  was  for  her  to  say  the 
wind  that  would  have  held  him  back  ! 

"The  day  and  the  night  there,"  she  continued,  "are  the 
same  as  the  day  and  the  night  here  ;  you  cannot  live  more 
there  than  you  can  here.  And  if  it  is  for  money,  well,  I  am 
hearing  from  more  than  one  that  your  classes  in  the  evening 
are  doing  fine ;  and  why  should  you  make  such  a  sacrifice — 
that  is  what  I  hear  them  asking — " 

"  Money  is  not  everything,"  he  made  answer.  And  then  he 
hesitated.  He  dared  not  imperil  these  wonderful  new  rela- 
tions that  had  been  so  suddenly  established.  It  was  so  sur- 
prising and  unaccountable  a  thing  to  find  himself  walking  with 
Barbara  in  this  sweetheart  fashion — herself  neatly  pranked  out 
for  the  occasion — her  eyes  and  voice  betraying  at  leasl  some 
measure  of  amiability  towards  him — that  he  dreaded  to  de- 
stroy his  chances  by  any  precipitancy.  And  yet  he  said, 
"There  is  one  that  could  bid  me  stay,  if  she  wished." 

"  Ami  who  is  that  one  J"  she  asked. 

They  were  now  ascending  the  Gallows  Hill;  and  she 
stooped  and  picked  up  a  wild-flower — a  Ml  of  red  campion 

it  was  -from  the  loot,  of  the  trees.  Without  waiting  for  Ins 
answer — if  he  had  intended  to  answer — she  presented  him 
with  the  fragment  of  blossom,  and  said,  in  rather  an  off-hand 
way  : 

"  Will  you  wear  it  '  But  it  is  not  good  enough  for  to- 
morrow— you  would  want  something  far  better  for  your  coat 
if  you  were  to  come  along  to-morrow, after  the  church  is  out, 

ami  walk  up  ami  down  to  look  at  the  people.  Maybe  .lessie 
and    mi'  we   would    lie    <>ul    too;   and    it    is   very   nice  t<»   see  a 

young  man  have  a  flower  in  his  coat." 


SUNLIGHT    ABROAD  265 

11 1  do  not  care  about  wearing  such  things,"  he  said ;  "  but 
this  little  gift  of  yours,  Barbara,  I  can  treasure."  And  there- 
with he  took  out  his  pocket-book,  and  carefully  placed  the 
scrap  of  weed  in  it.  Nor  even  now  would  he  speak  unguard- 
edly ;  though  the  mysterious  magnetism  of  her  presence — the 
fascination  of  the  movement  of  her  dress  even — was  stealing 
over  him  and  enthralling  his  senses  ;  and  wild  indeed  were 
the  hopes  that  were  thronging  thick  into  his  brain. 

Then  again,  when  they  had  reached  the  summit  of  the  hill, 
and  gone  along  and  sat  down  on  the  circular  bench  at  the 
foot  of  the  flag-staff — it  was  a  calm  and  summerlike  scene 
that  lay  stretched  out  before  them,  from  Dun-da-gu  and  the 
far  Glashven  in  the  north  round  to  the  silver-gray  peaks  of 
Cruachan  in  the  east — then  again  she  said  : 

"  It  is  very  strange  that  you  should  be  so  different  from 
other  young  men,  and  your  ways  so  different ;  but  maybe  it 
is  better  that  you  are  so  busy  with  your  studies  and  your 
classes ;  for  Jessie  she  is  always  speaking  of  the  great  and 
proud  position  you  are  to  have,  and  I  hope  soon.  Oh  yes, 
I  hope  soon ;  and  it  is  a  fine  thing  to  be  ambitious,  and  have 
people  talk  about  you — " 

"  There  are  other  things  of  perhaps  greater  importance  in 
human  life,"  he  interposed  ;  but  that  was  all ;  he  would  not 
startle  her  away  from  him  by  any  passionate  appeal ;  it  suf- 
ficed that  she  allowed  him  to  be  near  her,  to  be  even  trem- 
blingly conscious  of  the  touch  of  her  gown,  on  this  morning 
of  marvels. 

"  Barbara,"  he  said,  presently,  "  do  you  remember  the 
night  the  Sanda  struck  on  the  Lady  Rock  ?  I  was  up  here 
that  night.  It  was  from  here  that  I  saw  the  white  things 
shoot  up  into  the  black  sky  ;  and  many's  the  time  since  then 
I  have  thought  that  they  were  a  sort  of  message  from  you 
to  me." 

"  And  what  could  you  be  doing  up  here  at  such  an  hour  ?" 
said  she,  indifferently,  glancing  at  the  wide  waters  of  the  bay 
and  the  hills. 

"  Well,  I  have  always  been  used  to  going  about  a  good 

deal  by  myself,"   he  answered  her,  in  a  more  absent  tone. 

"  There  are  many  matters  that  a  man  has  to  thresh  out ;  and 

the  night  is  the  best  time  for  thinking ;  the  dark  is  quiet.    It 

12 


266  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

is  well  for  you  that  you  have  not  to  face  these  problems  and 
perplexities.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  look  beautiful  and  win- 
ning— that  is  your  place  in  nature — that  is  enough;  and  if  you 
add  to  that  the  showing  a  little  kindness  here  and  there,  then 
you  become  of  quite  inestimable  value  to  the  people  around 
you.  Look  at  my  own  case,"  he  went  on,  "  look  at  what  you 
have  done  for  me  this  morning.  I  hardly  cared  whether  I 
went  away  for  two  years  or  stayed  at  home ;  but  if  you  take 
any  interest  in  these  poor  affairs  of  mine,  then  it  would  be 
very  different,  then  it  would  be  worth  considering.  A  single 
word  from  you — would  be  enough — " 

"Oh,  as  for  that,"  she  said,  somewhat  saucily,  "I  do  not 
know  that  I  could  be  interfering.  My  aunt  and  Jessie  would 
tell  you  that  I  was  too  stupid  and  ignorant  to  understand 
about  the  ambitions  of  a  young  man — " 

"  There  are  other  hopes  of  far  more  importance,"  he  said, 
hastily.  "Barbara,  don't  you  understand  that  you  have 
brought  them  all  back  to  me  again,  through  your  friendliness 
of  this  morning?  But — but  I  will  not  alarm  you  ;  that  would 
be  a  poor  return.  I  will  not  even  ask  you  to  say  the  word 
that  will  keep  me  in  this  country." 

"  I  was  only  telling  you  what  I  was  hearing,"  she  replied, 
evasively,  "  that  it  would  be  a  great  sacrifice  for  you  to  give 
up  your  classes — and  your  friends  would  be  sorry  you  went 
away — " 

"  And  would  you  be  sorry,  too,  Barbara?"  he  asked,  making 
bold  to  regard  her. 

"  I  would  be  like  the  others,  I  suppose,"  she  answered, 
toying  with  the  black  bugles  that  adorned  the  front  of  her 
dress. 

But  this  maiden  coyness  did  not  deceive  or  discourage 
him  ;  on  the  contrary,  his  heart  was  filled  with  a  transport 
that  seemed  to  demand  utterance,  in  spite  of  his  rigorous 
self-restraint. 

"  Barbara,"  said  he,  of  a  sudden,  "  I  have  decided  I  will  not 
accept  the  tutorship.  I  will  remain  where  I  am,  and  get  on 
with  my  classes,  and  have  a  word  now  and  again  with  one  or 
two  friends  I  care  for.  And  it's  many  thanks  to  y<>n  for  con- 
cerning yourself  about  such  poor  trifles." 

She  rose. 


SUNLIGHT    ABROAD  267 

"  I  must  be  going  now,"  she  said. 

"  But,  Barbara,"  he  protested — for  he  could  not  let  her 
return  to  the  town  without  seeking  to  secure  a  continuance 
of  her  favor,  without  bargaining  for  a  repetition  of  this  be- 
wildering and  enchanting  interview — "you  must  tell  me  when 
I  am  to  see  you  again." 

"  Well,  to-morrow,  then,"  she  answered,  cheerfully,  "  if  you 
come  along  the  front,  after  the  churches  are  out.  And  I 
will  be  looking  for  some  one  wearing  a  very  nice  flower  in 
his  coat,  for  you  must  not  forget  that." 

Nay,  so  kind  was  she,  and  such  an  interest  did  she  show  in 
his  affairs,  that,  as  they  walked  back  into  Duntroone  together, 
she  even  ventured  to  remonstrate  with  him  about  his  cos- 
tume— which  was  of  a  simple,  plain,  workaday  character; 
and  she  hinted  that  on  special  occasions,  such  as  the  next 
day's  after-church  promenade,  he  ought  to  dress  like  the 
fashionable  young  men,  who  on  Sundays  wore  colored  kid 
gloves  and  smart  neckties  and  tall  hats.  Allan  laughed  and 
shook  his  head  ;  but  all  the  same  he  was  exceedingly  grate- 
ful to  her  for  her  advice  ;  indeed,  when  he  had  bidden  farewell 
to  her  at  the  entrance  to  the  house  in  Campbell  Street,  and 
turned  to  come  away  again,  so  overjoyed  was  he,  so  happily 
in  love  with  all  the  world  was  he,  that  a  vague  and  general 
wish  possessed  him  to  give  somebody  something.  And  the 
first  person  that  he  chanced  to  encounter  was  Niall  Gorach. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 
THE    FOOL'S    REVENGE 

Niall  was  in  a  sorry  plight.  His  clothes  were  dishevelled 
and  smothered  with  dust ;  his  face  was  scratched  and  bruised  ; 
and  the  palms  of  his  hands  and  his  wrists,  which  he  ruefully 
regarded  from  time  to  time,  were  torn  and  bleeding. 

"  What's  all  this  now  ?"  said  the  school-master. 

Then  the  half-witted  lad  told  his  tale.  He  had  been  out- 
side the  town,  at  the  foot  of  the  Dunach  Hill,  when  the  Mel- 
fort  coach  came  along.  On  the  top  of  it  was  a  certain  farmer- 
youth  named  Dan  Kingarra  —  that  is,  Dan  of  the  Kingarra 
farm — with  one  or  two  of  his  companions  ;  and  it  occurred  to 
this  facetious  person  that  he  would  invite  Niall  to  get  up 
beside  them,  no  doubt  for  the  purpose  of  providing  them 
with  sport.  Things  appeared  to  have  gone  on  well  enough 
while  they  were  slowly  ascending  the  hill  and  driving  along 
the  level  summit ;  but  when  they  were  rapidly  descending 
the  steep  incline  on  the  townward  side,  the  motive  of  Dan 
Kingarra's  kindness  became  clear.  He  would  have  Niall 
jump  off  behind — while  the  coach  was  tearing  down  the  hill  ; 
and  this  the  poor  chap  was  eventually  compelled  to  do,  with 
the  inevitable  consequences:  he  was  hurled  along  the  stony 
highway,  face  downward,  his  hands  and  wrists  shot  out  in 
vain,  while  the  lout  of  a  fanner,  ensconced  among  his  com- 
panions, laughed  aloud  at  the  merry  jest. 

"  If  I  bad  been  there,"  said  the  school-master,  with  a  Hash 
of  flame  in  his  dark  eyes,  "  I'd  soon  have  had  that  tomfool 

head    first    into   the  mad.      There  would  have  been  a  see 1 

one  rolling  among  the  stones." 

"Maybe,"  said  Niall,  slowly — "  maybe  something  will  be 
coming  to  him,  and  before  long." 

"Well,  here  is  a  shilling  for  you,  anyway, "  the  school- 
master  continued,  good  naturedly,  "and  you  can  go  into  the 


the  fool's    revenge  '2d9 

chemist's  and  get  some  lint  and  some  ointment  for  your 
hands.  No,"  said  he,  on  second  thoughts  —  for  had  not  this 
poor  lad  done  him  a  good  turn  when  he  was  hopelessly  im- 
mured in  the  chasm? — "no;  you  can  keep  the  shilling;  but 
you'd  better  come  along  with  me  to  the  doctor,  and  we'll  get 
the  thing  done  properly  for  you."  And  to  the  doctor's  they 
accordingly  went ;  and  there  Niall  was  patched  and  mended 
up  as  well  as  might  be ;  and  presently  Allan  Henderson  was 
again  on  his  way  home — his  brain  filled  with  recollections  that 
had  little  to  do  with  Niall  Gorach. 

But  when  Niall  was  once  more  his  own  master  he  resumed 
his  apparently  aimless  wanderings,  and  these  in  due  course 
of  time  led  him  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  Kingarra  farm, 
which  lay  just  outside  the  town.  Here  he  became  more  cir- 
cumspect ;  he  crept  and  slouched  along  by  the  side  of  walls 
and  hedges ;  and  when  he  came  to  the  iron  gate  leading  into 
the  farm-yard,  he  hid  behind  a  clump  of  elder-bushes — which 
had  doubtless  been  planted  there  in  former  days  for  the  con- 
fusion of  ghosts  and  evil  spirits.  From  this  safe  retreat  he 
could  command  a  view  —  through  the  slender  spars  of  the 
gate — of  all  that  was  happening  in  the  large  and  open  square 
that  was  surrounded  by  the  usual  buildings  and  out-houses. 

Then  a  little  while  thereafter  Niall  withdrew  from  his 
hiding,  and  cautiously  and  circuitously  returned  to  Dun- 
troone ;  and  the  first  place  he  made  for  was  Long  Lauchie's 
shop.  The  shoemaker  was  at  work,  or  pretending  to  be  at 
work ;  but  there  was  a  confused  and  yet  half-comical  look 
about  his  eyes,  when  he  glanced  up  and  saw  who  his  visitor 
•was,  that  seemed  to  suggest  that  Lauchlan  must  have  of  late 
been  straying  from  the  strait  and  narrow  path.  And  it  was 
not  at  all  in  his  usual  gloomy  tones  that  he  now  exclaimed,  in 
Gaelic : 

"  Is  it  you,  you  grandson  of  the  Witch  of  Endor  ! — and  I  am 
of  opinion  by  the  look  of  you  that  you  have  been  in  the  wars !" 

Niall  answered  him  in  the  same  tongue : 

"  Will  you  be  lending  me  a  long  piece  of  cord,  Mr.  Macln- 
tyre,  and  a  bit  of  rosin  to  make  it  dark  ?" 

"And  what  devil's  cantrip  is  this  now? — and  who  has  been 
pulling  a  harrow  over  you  ?" 

"  Will  you  give  me  the  string  ?"  said  the  lad  with  the  cu- 


270  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

rious,  peering,  elfin  eyes.  "  "When  the  woman  was  here,  it 
was  I  that  frightened  her  away  for  you." 

"  My  hero,  do  you  think  I  am  forgetting  ?"  said  Lauchie, 
with  an  inhuman  chuckle.  "  Aw,  Dyeea,  many  is  the  time 
I  have  been  laughing  over  that ;  aye,  and  waking  up  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  laughing.  Oh,  you  are  the  champion  of 
the  sorcerers,  and  no  mistake  ;  and  I  am  sure  she  ran  all  the 
way  shrieking  to  Fort  William — and  swimming  over  Cowal 
Ferry  and  Creran  Ferry.  And  if  she  was  drowned,  who  will 
be  crying  over  it?  —  if  she  is  drowned,  she  is  silent;  and 
a  silent  woman  is  a  very  good  thing  that  Providence  does 
not  always  give  us.  And  maybe  I  will  be  for  letting  you 
have  the  string,  if  you  will  tell  me  what  you  are  going  to  do 
with  it,  and  if  you  will  tell  me  who  has  been  injuring  yon." 

Thereupon  Niall  —  without  whimpering,  but  with  a  malig- 
nant glitter  in  his  eyes — repeated  the  story  he  had  related  to 
the  school-master,  and  Lauchlan  promptly  said  : 

"  Well,  it  is  myself  that  would  like  to  be  giving  that  fel- 
low a  bash  on  the  head.  But  what  about  the  string  now — 
what  about  the  string,  son  of  my  heart?" 

"  1  was  up  at  the  farm,"  said  Niall,  slowly  and  darkly.  "  I 
was  looking  at  the  yard.  In  the  middle  of  it  there  is  a  great 
barrel  to  drain  the  byres  and  the  stables  ;  and  the  top  of  the 
barrel  is  even  with  the  ground.  If  I  was  to  tie  the  string  to 
the  pump,  and  be  hidden  somewhere  with  the  other  end,  the*n 
maybe  Dig  Dan  would  be  coming  along,  and  I  would  pull  the 
string,  and  trip  him — " 

"And  he  would  fall  into  the  barrel  of  wash  !"  cried  Lauchie 
— and  instantly  he  threw  aside  his  work.  "  May  the  Good* 
Being  preserve  us,  but  I  would  walk  half  round  the  world  to 
see  such  a  thing  as  that!  Niall,  it  is  your  head  that  has  the 
invention  in  it.  Do  not  mind  them  if  they  say  you  were  not 
at  bome  when  the  sense  was  shared  ;  you  have  as  niiieh  sense 
as  many;  and  it  is  I  that  will  be  laughing  when  I  see  Dan 
Kiiij.ina  fall  into  the  wash.  Do  you  know  now  what  color 
he  will  be  when  he  scrambles  out? — he  will  be  as  brown  as. 
treacle  ;  and  not  a  enrae  Coming  from  him,  for  his  month  will 
be  choking.  Aw,  the  brown  man!  —  Niall,  1  am  going  with 
yon  to  see  the  brown  man! — I  would  not  miss  it  for  the  best 
part  of  my  existence." 


.     the   fool's  revenge  271 

Long  Lauchie  was  softly  chuckling  and  giggling  to  himself 
as  he  set  about  getting  the  twine  and  the  rosin  ;  but  by  the 
time  he  was  ready  to  start,  he  had  grown  solemn  again.  He 
opened  a  press,  and  took  down  a  black  bottle  and  a  soda-water 
bottle  ;  and  the  latter  he  filled  from  the  former. 

"  Niall,"  said  he,  "  I  will  give  you  advice.  Maybe  you 
have  not  as  much  wisdom  as  others  ;  but  I  will  tell  you  how 
you  can  make  up  for  it ;  and  what  you  must  do  is  to  keep 
away  from  the  drink.  It  is  drink  that  is  the  ruin  of  half  of 
them  around  you  ;  and  if  you  keep  away  from  it,  you  will  be 
the  equal  of  many,  sense  or  no  sense.  For  myself  now,  I  was 
taking  a  drop  or  two  to-day — the  toothache  being  such  a  ter- 
rible, terrible  thing."  He  put  the  soda-water  bottle  to  his 
lips,  and  had  a  long  pull ;  then,  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction,  he 
corked  the  flask  and  placed  it  in  his  pocket.  "  Keep  away 
from  the  drink,  Niall,  and  there  is  no  fear  of  you ;  it  is  drink 
that  is  the  scourge  and  disgrace  of  this  country — a  sad,  sad 
thing  to  think  of  !" 

But  then  again,  as  they  were  on  their  way  to  Kingarra,  on 
this  shining  afternoon,  his  spirits  recovered  considerably  ;  and 
although  his  toothache  seemed  to  be  troubling  him  at  times 
— and  he  had  to  seek  the  necessary  relief — he  by-and-by  be- 
came quite  gay. 

"  Niall,"  said  he — and  he  was  quietly  laughing  now — "  did 
you  ever  behold  a  brown  man  ?  I  am  thinking  that  a  brown 
man  will  be  a  sight  to  see !  Do  you  not  imagine  that  his 
pockets  will  be  very  wet  when  he  will  put  his  hands  into 
them  ?— " 

"  Maybe,"  said  Niall — "  maybe  he  will  not  be  for  pushing 
me  off  a  coach  again." 

"  Aw,  the  brown  man,"  continued  Lauchie — and  he  could 
not  restrain  his  hilarity — "the  brown  man  ! — it  is  I  that  will 
be  laughing  to  see  the  brown  man  climb  up  out  of  the  barrel, 
and  if  he  will  be  using  bad  words,  would  not  you  do  the 
same  ?  No,  not  you,  not  you,  Niall,  my  son ;  for  there  are 
many  things  you  must  avoid  ;  and  the  two  things  that  you 
must  avoid  most  of  all  are  the  drink  and  the  women.  The 
drink  I  have  told  you  about ;  and  the  women — well,  now,  my 
hero,  perhaps  it  is  not  so  bad  for  you  to  be  a  little  weak  in 
the  head,  if  that  will  keep  the  women  away  from  you.     Any- 


272  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

thing  to  keep  them  away  from  you,  for  they  are  the  devil's 
own  children,  and  no  mistake ;  and  I  wish  he  had  the  lot  of 
them,  and  would  keep  them  at  home  with  himself.  I  am  not 
saying,"  proceeded  Lauchlan,  "  that  you  may  not  find  one 
here  and  there  that  is  pleasing  to  look  at — so  long  as  you  do 
not  marry  her  ;  it  is  the  marrying  that  is  the  mischief.  Aw, 
yes,  I  have  seen  one  or  two ;  I  had  my  young  days  ;  well  I 
remember  that  some  of  the  girls  were  not  always  so  shy  and 
innocent  as  you  might  think,  when  there  was  a  bunch  of  net- 
tles to  be  put  in  your  bed  and  a  ghost  waiting  for  you  behind 
the  door.  We  had  the  fine  evenings  those  evenings."  Here 
Long  Lauchie,  moved  to  sentiment  by  his  recollections,  burst 
into  gentle  melody ;  but  there  was  not  much  of  sadness — ■ 
there  was  rather  triumph — in  his  singing: 

"  "Twas  on  a  simmer's  afternoon, 
A  wee  before  the  sun  oaed  down, 
My  lassie,  in  a  braw  new  gown, 
Cam'  o'er  the  hills  to  Gowrie?  " 

Lauchlan,  looking  all  round  the  landscape,  smiled  mysterious- 
ly at  these  reminiscences  of  his.  But  presently  he  resumed : 
"Oh  yes,  I  tell  you,  my  brave  champion,  I  have  seen  many 
pretty  girls  in  my  time,  brown-haired  and  yellow-haired  and 
black-haired;  and  all  of  them  so  smooth-spoken  and  pleasing, 
and  giving  themselves  airs  as  if  they  had  the  tail  of  a  peacock 
to  display.  But  it  is  a  different  thing — and  now  I  am  telling 
you  the  Bible  truth — it  is  a  very  different  thing  when  you 
take  one  of  them  and  make  a  wife  of  her,  and  then  the  devil's 
daughter  lets  you  know  where  she  came  from.  Niall,  my  boy, 
yon  will  be  saved  from  all  that,  as  it  is  my  hope ;  and  you 
will  be  thankful  to  Providence  that  you  are  a  little  weak  in 
the  head.  Not  that  I  am  so  sure  about  that  cither.  For  I 
have  heard  of  the  great  commanders — I  have  heard  of  \N VI- 
lington  and  Lord  Raglan  and  Colin  Campbell  that  was  at 
the  Alma;  but  could  any  one  of  them  bave  driven  that  fear- 
ful woman  fleeing  out  of  the  hjOiise?  Not  one  of  them  ;  they 
would  have  ran  away  by  themselves ;  and  the  faster  they  went 
the  better  lor  them — that  is  my  opinion.  But  you — it  is  you 
that  have  a  head  on  your  shoulders — and  plenty  of  invention 
in  it — and  no  mistake  !     And  now  we  will  sec  if  we  can  make 


the  fool's  revenge  273 

the  farmer's  son  dance — aw,  Dyeea,  Low  I  am  wishing  to  see 
the  brown  man  climbing  out  of  the  barrel  I" 

At  this  point  Lauchlan  began  to  moderate  his  too  garrulous 
mirth ;  for  they  were  getting  near  to  Kingarra ;  and  he  un- 
derstood from  Niall's  stealthy  and  furtive  manner  that  there 
might  be  some  danger  of  their  being  observed.  But  they 
reached  the  shelter  of  the  elder-bushes  in  safety  ;  and  then  it 
was  that  Lauchlan,  out  of  thankfulness — or  perhaps  owing  to 
another  twinge  of  toothache — brought  forth  the  soda-water 
bottle  again.  At  present  there  was  nothing  else  to  be  done, 
for  there  was  an  old  woman  in  possession  of  the  farm-yard — 
an  old  woman  in  a  red  jacket,  who  was  hurling  stones  and  ex- 
ecrations at  a  terrier  that  she  had  caught  in  the  act  of  scatter- 
ing a  brood  of  young  turkeys. 

But  in  a  minute  or  two,  when  the  old  woman  had  disap- 
peared into  one  of  the  out-houses,  Niall  stole  from  his  hiding- 
place  ;  and  after  a  careful  and  catlike  scrutiny  he  clambered 
over  the  gate.  He  went  quickly  across  the  square.  In  the 
middle,  towards  which  four  shallow  troughs — one  from  each 
corner  of  the  yard — sloped  down  and  converged,  there  was  a 
huge  tun,  the  top  of  which  was  flush  with  the  ground,  while  on 
the  farther  side  rose  an  iron  pump.  To  this  pump  Niall  rap- 
idly affixed  one  end  of  the  rosined  cord,  and  then  he  retreat- 
ed, paying  out  the  string,  and  dabbing  it  down  on  the  earth 
and  stones  so  that  it  should  be  immovable  and  invisible.  "When 
he  came  crouching  back  behind  the  elder-bushes  he  had  the 
other  end  in  his  hand  ;  at  any  moment  a  powerful  jerk  would 
raise  the  darkened  twine  some  two  or  three  inches  from  the 
ground,  so  that  an  unwary  passer-by  must  inevitably  go  over. 

And  as  it  chanced  the  very  next  person  to  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance was  the  farmer's  son — a  great  hulking  lout  of  a  fel- 
low— who  had  a  pitchfork  over  his  shoulder.  The  shoemaker, 
holding  his  breath,  was  sniggering  in  spite  of  himself  ;  but  his 
companion  was  in  a  different  mood — the  strange,  elfin  eyes 
were  burning  with  fire — they  were  like  the  eyes  of  some  wild 
animal  intently  watching  its  prey.  The  unhappy  thing  was 
that  though  the  lumbering,  heavy-shouldered  youth  seemed 
to  have  plenty  of  half-idle  jobs  to  do  about  the  yard,  never 
once  did  he  approach  the  drainage-barrel ;  if  he  crossed  the 
string,  it  was  at  such  a  distance  from  the  black  hole  that  trip- 
12* 


274  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

ping  him  up  would  have  been  of  no  avail.  They  waited  and 
watched,  and  waited  and  watched;  but  with  a  maddening  per- 
sistence he  kept  away  from  the  neighborhood  of  that  most 
unholy  well.     At  last  Long  Lauchie  whispered, 

"  Niall,  my  son,  it  is  you  that  have  the  invention  ;  but  this 
time  it  is  not  going  to  succeed—" 

"Quiet — quiet!"  retorted  the  half-witted  lad,  trembling 
with  excitement.     "  Now  he  is  coming — now — now — " 

But  again  the  unsuspecting  yokel  sheered  off ;  and  at  this 
Lauchie  rose  from  his  cramped  position. 

"  Niall,"  he  said,  laughing  covertly,  "  now  I  will  take  my 
turn  ;  for  it  is  into  that  hole  that  the  devil  must  go  somehow. 
Stay  where  you  are — stay  where  you  are,  my  son — and  may- 
be you  will  be  seeing  something." 

He  now  issued  boldly  from  his  ambush ;  he  opened  the 
gate ;  he  staggered  into  the  yard.  Perhaps  he  was  pretend- 
ing to  be  a  good  deal  more  intoxicated  than  was  really  the 
case;  he  held  the  almost  empty  bottle  in  his  hand;  he  swayed 
up  to  the  farmer's  son,  who  regarded  this  intruder  with  evi- 
dent disfavor. 

"  It  is  not  ahl  feenished  yet,"  said  Lauchie,  in  English. 
"  Will  you  be  for  having  a  drop  ? — I  was  on  my  wch  home — 
and  how  is  your  father,  Dan  ?" — aye,  and  your  mother,  too? — " 

"Oh,  what  are  you  blcthcrin  about?"  returned  the  other, 
with  impatient  sulkiness.  "  My  mother  has  been  dead  these 
seven  years — " 

"Aye,  that's  what  I  was  thinking,"  Lauchie  went  on,  most 
good-naturedly — though  his  speech  was  interrupted  now  and 
again  by  an  occasional  hiccough.  "And — and  I'm  glad  to 
hear  that;  and  you  will  give  her  my  compliments,  and  tell 
her  that  I  was  asking  after  her.  And  you  will  hef  a  drop 
with  me  now — it  is  not  ahl  feenished — " 

"  I  am  not  tasting,"  was  the  morose  answer. 

"  Well,  well,  then,  there's  the  more  for  me,"  said  Lauchlan, 
cheerfully,  and  he  put  the  bottle  in  his  pocket.  "And  your 
father  now,  is  he  well  ? — and  your  mother — arc  they  both  of 
tln-iii  pretty  well  I — " 

"  Oh,  get  out  of  this — get  away  home  I"  was  the  scornful 
rejoinder. 

"And  I  was  hearing  of  you  to-day,"  proceeded   Lauchie. 


the  fool's  revenge  275 

"  I  was  hearing  of  the  fine  trick  you  were  playing  on  Niall 
Gorach — and — and  he  would  be  rolling  along  the  road  like 
a  football—" 

The  big  booby  condescended  to  grin.  But  of  a  sudden 
Lauchlan  grew  preternaturally  grave. 

"  Maybe,"  said  he,  half  articulately,  "  maybe  I  was  having 
a  drop  too  much  the  day.  Give  me  your  arm,  Dan,  my  lad — 
give  me  your  arm  to  the  gate — I  am  wishing  to  get  away 
home — " 

"  Aye,  the  sooner  ye're  in  bed  the  better,"  answered  the 
facetious  bumpkin ;  but  by  this  time  Lauchie  had  fastened 
on  to  him,  and  rather  unwillingly  he  was  being  dragged 
across  the  yard. 

"  Here,  do  ye  want  to  drown  yourself !"  he  exclaimed 
angrily,  as  Lauchie's  reeling  and  staggering  took  them  both 
dangerously  near  the  pump. 

The  next  moment  the  intoxicated  shoemaker  gave  a  heavy 
lurch  forward — his  companion  was  thrown  over  and  could 
not  recover  himself — there  was  a  mighty  souse  and  a  kicking 
and  splashing — and  the  last  that  Lauchie  saw  of  the  farmer 
was  a  pair  of  hands  frantically  clinging  to  the  edge  of  the 
unspeakable  tun.  He  made  away  for  the  gate,  and  haled 
Niall  Gorach  out  of  his  hiding-place. 

"  Aw,  Dyeea,  did  you  see  that  now  ?"  he  cried,  as  they  hast- 
ened along  the  road — -and  he  laughed  and  better  laughed 
until  he  brought  on  the  hiccough  so  violently  that  it  threat- 
ened to  choke  him.  "  Niall,  my  son,  hurry,  hurry  ;  but  as 
soon  as  we  are  near  the  houses  we  are  safe  ;  for  you  do  not 
think  a  brown  man  would  come  near  the  houses  ?  The  brown 
man — aw,  the  brown  man  ! — it  is  I  that  would  like  to  see 
him  chasing  us  through  Duntroone,  and  his  clothes  dripping, 
and  all  the  people  standing  and  laughing.  And  what  do  you 
think,  now,  my  hero  ? — he  was  very  clever  when  he  pushed 
you  down  from  the  coach — oh  yes,  he  was  very  clever — but 
maybe  he  is  not  considering  himself  so  clever  now.  What 
do  you  say  to  that,  my  son  ?" 

"  Will  he  get  any  of  it  into  his  mouth  ?"  said  Niall  Gorach, 
with  his  eyes  burning  again. 

But  the  shoemaker  was  not  in  the  least  inclined  to  be  vin- 
dictive.    He  was  far  too  happy.     He  was  giggling  to  him- 


276  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

self,  and  singing  little  snatches  of  song,  all  the  way  in  to 
Duntroone ;  and  when  he  arrived  he  made  straight  for  one 
of  his  favorite  howffs,  sure  of  finding  there  on  a  Saturday 
evening  some  particular  crony,  to  whom,  over  a  friendly  glass 
or  two,  he  could  relate  his  exploit,  with  such  mirthful  embel- 
lishments as  happened  to  occur  to  him.  And  thus  it  was 
that  Niall  Gorach  was  avenged. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

PERPLEXITIES 

When  the  two  Maclean  girls  came  out  of  church  on  the 
following  day,  Jess  seemed  disinclined  to  accede  to  Barbara's 
proposal  that  they  should  go  for  a  stroll  along  the  sea-front ; 
indeed,  at  this  time  of  the  year,  when  the  hotels  and  villas 
were  filled  with  visitors,  the  towns-people  mostly  kept  away 
from  the  fashionable  throng. 

"  Do  you  want  to  see  some  one  ?"  Jessie  demanded.  "  Or 
do  you  wish  to  have  your  head  turned  with  fine  bonnets  and 
the  new  style  of  jackets?  I  never  knew  the  like  of  you,  Bar- 
bara, for  thinking  about  dress." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  sit  in  the  house  all  day  reading  books," 
said  Barbara,  resentfully. 

"Oh,  well,  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Jess,  with  her  usual 
good-nature.  "  I  need  not  be  over-shy ;  they're  not  likely  to 
look  much  at  me,  Barbara,  when  they've  got  you  to  look  at." 

But  hardly  had  they  got  down  to  the  front  when  Jess  ex- 
claimed : 

"  Why,  there  is  Allan  !  Who  would  have  expected  to  find 
him  here !" 

At  the  same  moment  Barbara's  face  flushed  with  vexation. 
For  where  was  the  flower  she  had  counselled  him  to  wear  in 
his  button-hole  ;  and  where  were  the  smart  gloves  and  the  tall 
hat  ?  He  did  not  seem  to  have  altered  his  dress  in  any  one 
particular ;  he  had  taken  no  trouble  to  fit  himself  for  this 
promenade ;  it  was  as  if  he  had  risen  from  his  musty  books 
and  come  out  without  a  thought  of  appearances.  And  this 
was  the  result — that  she  had  dressed  herself  in  her  best — and 
brought  her  scarlet  sunshade  too — to  walk  up  and  down  with 
a  long,  gawky,  ill-attired  student. 

When  he  came  up  she  received  him  with  the  most  marked 
coldness ;  she  would  hardly  look  his  way ;  she  left  him  to 


278  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

talk  to  Jess — while  she  regarded,  covertly,  the  people  passing 
to  and  fro  along  the  parade.  And  it  was  in  this  fashion  also 
that  these  three  set  out  together — keeping  rather  to  the  road- 
way, for  the  gay  world  had  possession  of  the  pavement.  Al- 
lan could  not  but  be  conscious  of  the  inexplicable  change  in 
her  manner  ;  but  he  did  not  betray  either  surprise  or  chagrin  ; 
while  Jessie  remained  kind  as  always. 

"  I  finished  the  Memoirs  this  morning,"  said  she,  "  and  I 
will  send  you  the  book  back  to-morrow,  with  many  thanks." 

"  And  what  do  you  think  of  the  great  Benvenuto  ?"  he 
asked. 

"  I  would  not  like  to  say  anything  disrespectful,"  Jessie 
answered,  demurely,  "  but — but  I  was  thinking  to  myself  once 
or  twice  that  '  aiblins  he  was  a  leear.'  Do  you  remember," 
she  went  on,  with  a  laugh — and  she  had  a  pretty  laugh,  quiet 
and  happy  and  humorous  —  "  do  you  remember  the  story  of 
the  salamander?  He  says  that  when  he  was  a  small  boy  he 
saw  a  salamander  in  the  fire ;  and  that  there  and  then  his 
father  struck  him  a  blow  on  the  side  of  the  head,  so  that  he 
should  never  forget  it.  That  is  his  story.  But  I  suspect 
what  really  happened  was  this  —  that  he  declared  he  saw  a 
salamander ;  and  that  there  and  then  his  father  hit  him  on 
the  side  of  the  head  to  try  to  cure  him  of  lying.  Isn't  that 
the  more  likely  story,  Allan  ?" 

"  Indeed  it  is,"  said  he.  "  And  you're  quite  right ;  we've 
got  to  guess  at  what  really  happened  in  former  times.  How 
do  you  think,  now,  that  Socrates  came  by  his  broken  nose?" 

"  His  wife?"  Jess  suggested,  vaguely. 

"  No,  no.  It  is  perfectly  clear  what  happened.  Socrates 
bad  got  hold  of  an  honest  citizen,  and,  right  or  wrong,  would 
engage  him  in  argument,  just  for  showing  off.  Then  the 
poor  man,  finding  himself  being  driven  into  a  corner  by  a 
mere  trick  of  logic  —  feeling  that  he  was  being  entrapped, 
ami  yd  not  clever  enough  to  get  out  —  and  not  liking  to  be 
bullied  ami  made  a  fool  of  before  his  friends  —  then  he  got 
angry  ;  lie  up  with  his  list  and  gave  the  philosopher  a  bloody 
nose.  That  was  the  argummtum  ad  kominem,  you  see;  and 
I  suppose  Socrates  thought  he  had  had  enough  for  that  day." 

Benvenuto  Cellini — Socrates;  no  wonder  Barbara  ceased  to 
listen;  and  turned  away  with  proud  indifference  from  her  two 


PERPLEXITIES  279 

companions ;  and  devoted  her  attention  to  the  fashionable 
crowd,  whose  costume  and  gait  and  bearing  had  ever  and  al- 
ways for  her  the  profoundest  interest.  She  was  accustomed 
to  being  left  by  herself  in  this  way.  When  those  two  got  to- 
gether, there  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  the  subjects  on  which 
they  could  talk  ;  while  she '  was  relegated  to  silence.  And 
perhaps  on  this  particular  morning  —  seeing  that  every  now 
and  again  she  was  aware  of  a  scrutinizing  glance  sent  across 
from  the  passers-by  —  perhaps  it  was  just  as  well  that  Allan 
Henderson  should  pass  for  Jess's  especial  friend ;  his  appear- 
ance (in  Barbara's  eyes)  did  not  confer  distinction  on  his  as- 
sociate for  the  time  being. 

Indeed,  she  got  away  from  this  too  public  thoroughfare  as 
soon  as  ever  she  could ;  and  the  moment  she  and  Jess  were 
back  home  again  and  in  the  seclusion  of  their  own  room,  her 
petulance  broke  forth. 

"  He  was  a  fine  -like  sight  to  come  walking  with  any  one  !" 
she  said,  in  mingled  wrath  and  scorn. 

"  Do  you  mean  Allan  ?"  said  Jess,  wondering.  "  He  was 
just  as  usual." 

"  But  people  are  not  supposed  to  be  dressed  as  usual,"  re- 
torted Barbara,  "  when  they  go  along  the  esplanade  on  a  Sun- 
day." 

"  Dressed  ?"  repeated  her  cousin,  rather  angrily.  "He  was 
well  enough  dressed.  He  was  perfectly  well  dressed.  And, 
in  any  case,  those  that  know  Allan  will  not  judge  of  him  by 
his  coat." 

"  And  how  is  a  stranger  to  judge  him  except  by  his  coat  ?" 
demanded  Barbara ;  she  did  not  notice  that  Jessie's  fair  and 
fine  complexion  had  acquired  an  unusual  touch  of  color. 

"  If  a  stranger,"  said  Jess,  with  proud  lips,  "  does  not  see 
that  Allan  Henderson  is  a  man  of  strong  and  remarkable  char- 
acter— if  he  does  not  see  that  in  every  line  of  his  face — then 
the  stranger  is  a  fool.  And  the  opinion  of  a  fool  is  not  worth 
considering." 

"  Oh,  you  need  not  get  into  a  temper,"  observed  Barbara, 
tauntingly.  "  It  would  be  of  better  use  if  you  lent  the  school- 
master a  clothes-brush." 

"  His  clothes  are  perfectly  well  brushed,"  said  Jess,  hotly, 
"  and  perfectly  becoming.     Perfectly  becoming !     I  wish  I 


280  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

could  say  as  much  for  every  one  who  was  there  this  morn- 
ing. For  there  are  people  who  deck  themselves  out  above 
their  station,  in  imitation  of  their  betters." 

It  was  a  cruel  speech  —  and  utterly  unlike  Jess;  nay,  she 
stopped  abruptly  and  hesitated.  After  all,  this  cousin  of  hers 
had  been  thrown  upon  their  generosity  and  hospitality ;  and 
she  was  a  solitary  kind  of  creature. 

"  Barbara,"  Jess  went  on,  after  this  momentary  pause,  "  I 
am  sorry  I  said  that.    I  was  not  meaning  it.    You  provoked  me." 

"  Oh,  you  may  say  what  you  like,"  replied  Barbara,  with 
assumed  indifference,  as  she  put  the  red  parasol  down  at  the 
bottom  of  the  drawer  and  covered  it  over;  "  it  is  an  old  story 
— that  nobody  must  utter  a  word  about  the  school -master  if 
you  are  anywhere  near  by." 

That  same  evening  Allan  Henderson  was  alone  in  his  own 
room,  seated  at  an  open  window,  and  plunged  in  profound 
meditation.  For  there  were  many  problems  he  had  to  face  at 
this  crisis.  His  reason  was  battling  for  the  mastery,  and 
was  pointing  out  to  him  that  if  he  wished  to  withdraw  from 
what  he  vaguely  felt  to  be  a  false  position,  Barbara's  inexpli- 
cably capricious  conduct  offered  an  opportune  excuse.  Even 
in  the  midst  of  his  infatuation — even  as  he  dreaded  to  think 
of  losing  her — he  was  haunted  by  a  distressing  consciousness 
that  she  was  in  no  sense  his  equal,  that  she  was  not  the  male 
he  would  have  chosen  if  there  had  been  a  choice  in  the  mat- 
ter. But  was  there  a  choice  ?  Or  was  the  pairing  of  men 
and  women  a  hap-hazard  thing;  and  was  its  accidental  char- 
acter the  cause  of  all  the  mistakes  and  tragedies  that  were 
visible  around?  And  what  was  the  nature  of  this  subtle  al- 
lurement and  fascination  that  was  so  much  more  powerful 
than  the  will  of  a  man,  and  that  paid  no  heed  whatever  to  his 
judgment?  But  then  again,  if  he  was  driven  to  confess  to 
himself  that  Barbara  could  be  no  intellectual  helpmeet  for 
him  —  that  she  was  ignorant  and  simple  in  a  hundred  direc- 
tions— might  not  that  be  part  of  her  mysterious  charm  I  Here 
was  a  child  of  nature,  to  be  taken  by  the  hand  and  led;  here 
was  a  \ii'_dn  tablet  on  which  the  finer  wisdom  of  the  World 
could  lie  written  anew;  here  was  a  wild  blossom,  to  lie  trained 
and  guided,  while  one  woiideringly  watched  its  growth.  And, 
after  all,  was  not  the  overriding  of  reason  —  the  yielding  to  a 


PERPLEXITIES  281 

blind  intoxication  of  the  senses  —  at  a  particular  juncture  in 
life — was  not  that  but  obeying  one  of  the  fundamental  laws  of 
existence  ?  Who  could  tell  bu+,  that  there  were  other  powers 
at  work  in  this  business  of  se'cction  —  inscrutable  and  inexo- 
rable powers?  Could  there  be  any  sorrier  spectacle  than  that 
of  some  poor  item  of  humanity  hanging  back,  consulting  his 
judgment,  with  "  I  will  —  I  will  not,"  while  the  inherited  in- 
fluences of  millions  of  centuries  were  imperatively  saying  to 
him  :  "There  is  the  woman  we  have  chosen  for  you;  her  you 
must  seek  to  gain,  and  none  other.  If  you  fail,  then  you 
have  balked  our  purpose — away  with  you  to  the  limbo  of  dis- 
comfiture and  despair !" 

These  dark  and  intricate  communings  were  broken  in  upon; 
Mr.  McFadyen  appeared — merry-eyed,  alert,  self-confident. 

"  Well,  to  be  sure  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  All  by  yourself,  on 
a  fine  evening  like  this !  I  made  sure  you  would  be  enter- 
taining your  friends  at  supper,  or  something  of  the  kind, 
after  what  I  saw  yesterday.  Did  I  not  prophesy  it  many's 
the  day  ago  ?  And  a  smart  young  madam  to  go  walking 
through  the  town  wi' !  —  Dod,  she's  a  clipper!  —  there's  style 
about  her,  I  tell  ye — a  regular  young  Queen  of  Sheba — " 

"  Are  you  talking  of  Barbara  Maclean  ?"  said  the  school- 
master. "  But  that  was  twenty-four  hours  ago.  And  twenty- 
four  hours  in  the  life  of  a  woman — " 

"  What — what  now  ?"  cried  the  councillor,  in  great  surprise ; 
he  could  see  that  something  had  occurred. 

"  I  saw  her  this  morning,"  said  Allan,  briefly.  "  She  had 
hardly  a  word  for  me." 

"  Man,  man,  is  that  all  ?"  responded  Peter,  with  hearty 
cheerfulness.  "  Do  ye  no  understand  ?  That's  only  their 
tricks,  man  !  They're  all  like  that.  They're  well  aware  that 
if  they  kept  aye  in  the  same  temper,  they  would  lose  interest 
for  ye ;  and  so  one  day  it's  all  smiles  and  sunshine,  and  the 
next  day  it's  nothing  but  discontent  and  perversity.  Come 
away,  now — come  away  this  very  minute ;  and  we'll  go  along 
to  the  widow's — " 

Well,  Allan  was  in  a  half-reckless  mood;  he  hardly  knew 
what  was  happening  to  him,  what  toils  and  snares  were  sur- 
rounding him.  They  went  to  the  widow's.  And  from  her, 
at  least,  they  had  a  most  friendly  welcome. 


282  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  And  so  the  holidays  begin  to-morrow,  Allan,  lad,"  said 
she.  "  I'm  sure  they'll  do  you  good ;  you've  been  too  hard 
at  work  at  your  classes.  And  how  is  your  greenhouse  get- 
ting on,  Mr.  McFadyen  ?" 

"  Oh,  fine;  just  fine,"  responded  the  councillor.  "There's 
some  may  be  laughing  at  me  for  keeping  a  bit  greenhouse  and 
a  few  out-of-door  plants  cheek  by  jowl  with  a  coal-yard ;  but 
if  they  had  any  philosophy  they  would  know  it's  just  there 
such  a  thing  is  wanted.  A  touch  of  verdure  —  a  touch  of 
verdure — it's  wonderful  how  refreshing  to  the  eye  it  is.  And 
the  euonymus-bushes  are  doing  well  —  it's  strange  they  have 
not  oftener  been  tried  in  this  climate  —  I'm  looking  forward 
to  having  them  green  all  through  the  winter.  That's  the  only 
drawback  about  the  tree -fuchsias  —  withering  down  in  the 
winter — " 

"  It's  quite  true  what  ye  say,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  observed  the 
widow,  placidly.  "And  one  o'  these  days  I  must  come  along 
and  look  at  your  anonymous-bushes,  when  it's  such  an  inter- 
esting experiment — " 

"  The  sooner  the  better,"  returned  the  councillor,  politely 
— "  the  sooner  the  better.  And  in  the  mean  time  I  am  going 
to  insist  on  Miss  Jessie  and  Miss  Barbara  here  putting  on 
their  things  and  coming  away  for  half  an  hour's  stroll ;  it's 
just  sinful  they  should  be  sitting  in -doors  on  so  splendid  an 
evening.1' 

And  he  did  insist  —  stormily,  overbearingly  —  until  he  had 
his  way  ;  Jess  was  the  first  to  give  a  laughing  consent;  then 
she  and  Barbara  quitted  the  room  to  get  ready.  When  the 
four  of  them  by-and-by  set  out,  the  councillor  was  quite  gay 
and  triumphant;  and  it  ought  to  be  added  that  he  wore  a 
most  dapper  and  summcrlike  costume — white  vest,  cut-away 
coat,  and  variegated  necktie.  They  left  the  town  by  the 
Dunstaffnage  road — making  for  the  upland  heights  overlook- 
ing the  western  and  northern  seas. 

They  walked  two  and  two;  and  the  school-master,  who  had 
at  first  been  inclined  to  coldness  if  not  to  austerity,  vei'y 
Bpeedilj  found,  and  that,  greatly  to  his  surprise,  that  his  com- 
panion wished  to  l»e  complaisant,  and  even  ingratiating. 

"You  have  never  told  me,"  said  she,  in  rather  a  low  voice, 
when  there  was  some  little  space  between  them  and  the  couple 


PERPLEXITIES  283 

ahead  of  them,  "  of  the  fight  between  you  and  Ogilvie.  I 
want  to  know.     How  did  it  begin  ?" 

It  was  the  very  last  thing  in  the  world  he  would  have  wished 
to  talk  about ;  but  she  was  insidiously  persistent ;  she  be- 
trayed the  strangest  curiosity  about  the  smallest  details  ;  how- 
ever reluctantly,  he  was  forced  to  relate  to  her,  bit  by  bit, 
what  had  occurred. 

"  And  you  had  him  at  the  very  edge  ?"  she  asked,  with 
" glowering"  eyes. 

"  It  was  too  near  for  both  of  us." 

"  But  he  was  the  undermost — you  had  the  mastery  over 
him?"  she  demanded. 

He  would  not  say. 

"  He  was  the  undermost — did  you  not  tell  me  that  ?"  she 
demanded  again. 

"  Well— he  was." 

"Then  why  did  you  not  let  him  go  over?"  she  said,  with 
set  teeth. 

He  was  astounded. 

"Barbara,  do  you  know  what  you  are  saying?  Would  you 
have  had  murder  committed?" 

"  It  would  have  been  no  murder  !"  she  said,  passionately. 
"  It  was  a  fair  fight — he  would  have  had  you  over  if  he  could. 
Well,  maybe  you  will  be  serving  him  better  some  other  day 
— and  more  to  the  purpose  !" 

He  could  not  understand  this  savage  outburst ;  but  he  dared 
not  question  her  further,  for  the  two  in  front  of  them  had 
paused  in  the  roadway,  to  inquire  which  route  they  should 
now  adopt.  It  was  by  this  time  nearly  nine ;  the  sun  had 
set ;  but  there  was  no  lack  of  light — the  after-glow  seemed  to 
have  set  the  whole  world  on  fire.  Indeed,  when  they  had  de- 
cided to  go  onward  and  downward  to  the  sea,  and  when 
they  had  reached  the  heights  above  Penyfuir,  a  most  extraor- 
dinary spectacle  lay  stretched  out  before  them :  the  smooth 
waters  of  Loch  Linnhe  were  as  a  lake  of  blood,  the  heavens 
overhead  were  an  indescribable  glory  of  flame,  while  between 
the  resplendent  crimson  sea  and  the  dazzling  crimson  sky 
stood  ranged  the  mountains  of  Morven,  of  the  richest,  deep- 
est, softest  plum-color,  the  only  apparently  solid  thing  in  this 
wild  and  general  conflagration.     The  night  was  yet  far  off — 


284  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

if  there  was  to  be  any  night ;  they  would  have  abundant  lei- 
sure for  their  return  through  the  woods  along  the  shore. 

And  so  they  descended  from  these  uplands  to  the  coast, 
making  their  way  round  by  Ganavan  and  Camas  Ban,  and 
through  the  trees  that  encircle  the  base  of  the  Castle  Hill. 
The  councillor  was  in  great  form  ;  he  was  drawing  attention, 
as  if  he  owned  them,  to  the  various  objects  that  came  within 
view  ;  he  was  displaying  his  knowledge  of  natural  history.  A 
large  dark  bird  with  noiseless  wings  went  sailing  from  one 
branch  to  another;  then  a  sharp,  discordant  yelp — a  strange 
sound  in  the  prevailing  silence — proclaimed  the  tawny  owl. 
A  smaller  creature — black  as  jet  against  that  blaze  of  crimson 
light — kept  jerkily  fluttering  over  their  heads;  and  Peter  re- 
peated the  boyish  rhyme,  "  Bat,  bat,  come  into  my  hat ;" 
though,  having  attained  to  years  of  wisdom,  he  did  not  fruit- 
lessly attempt  to  capture  the  flittcrmouse.  A  belated  weasel 
stole  along  the  pathway  some  distance  ahead  of  them,  and 
then  disappeared  in  among  the  heaps  of  stones  tumbled  down 
from  the  lofty  ruins.  But  it  was  when  they  had  got  round 
by  the  old-fashioned  garden  to  the  corner  of  the  bay  that  the 
councillor  had  an  opportunity  of  really  distinguishing  him- 
self;  for  at  this  point  a  rabbit,  closely  followed  by  a  black 
collie,  ran  across  just  in  front  of  them,  the  pursued  animal 
making  for  the  ivied  and  precipitous  cliff  underneath  the 
castle. 

"Ah,  do  you  see  that,  now?"  cried  Mr.  McFadycn,  grasp- 
in.;-  his  stick  by  the  ferrule  end.  "That  poaching  rascal  of  a 
dog! — if  I  could  get  at  him  I'd  teach  him  a  lesson!  The 
mongrel  beasts  ! — they  don't  belong  to  the  place — they  come 
in  from  the  town — I  wonder  the  keeper  does  not  shoot  every 
one  o'  them — and  that  black  thief  of  a  brute,  I'd  just  like  to 
get  near  it—" 

Nay,  so  indignant  was  he  that  he  left  his  companions  and 
began  to  ascend  tin'  Bteep  hill.     Both  rabbit  ami  collie  had 

Urot  out  of  Bight  ;  no  doubt  the  former  had  reached  the  shelter 
of  the  ivy,  and  made  its  way  into  one  of  the  numerous  <iv\- 
iees  well  known  in  these  parts  to  the  eony  of  the  rock.  lint 
the  dog  .'  well,  the  dog  must  be  somewhere  about  -and  here 
was  the  \aliant  Peter,  determined  on  lawful  east  igat  ion.  The 
next    moment  .Mr.   McFadyen  paused.      The   black  collie   hav- 


PERPLEXITIES  285 

ing  relinquished  the  chase,  was  now  returning ;  and  when  it 
caught  sight  of  this  stranger,  it  stopped  short.  The  two 
glared  at  each  other — and  Mr.  McFadyen  did  not  advance. 

"  I'm  not  so  sure,"  he  called  down  to  Jess,  "  that  this  is  a 
town  dog.     It  may  belong  to  the  place,  after  all — " 

There  was  a  low  growl,  ending  in  a  sharp  and  menacing  bark. 

"  What  do  ye  think  ?"  the  councillor  called  again.  "  I 
would  not  like  to  harm  a  dog  that  belonged  here — " 

The  barking  was  renewed,  with  a  more  savage  accent ;  the 
collie,  showing  angry  teeth,  was  drawing  nearer. 

"  He  deserves  a  thrashing,  of  course,"  called  Peter,  with 
some  tone  of  apology.  "  No  doubt  about  that.  But — but 
maybe  it  would  be  best  to  leave  that  to  the  keeper.  What 
do  ye  think?  I  would  not  like  to  harm  the  dog  if  I  thought 
it  belonged  to  the  place.     What  do  ye  think  ? — " 

"  Oh,  come  away,  Mr.  McFadyen,  and  leave  the  dog  alone  !" 
Jess  called  to  him. 

It  was  with  a  certain  caution  that  Peter  began  to  back 
down  the  slope ;  and  when  he  rejoined  his  companions  his 
face  was  extremely  red — perhaps  with  the  exertion  of  climb- 
ing and  descending  again. 

"  I'm  not  sure  I  was  right  in  letting  him  off,"  he  said, 
doubtfully.  "  Maybe  I  was  wrong  in  letting  him  off.  When 
you  catch  a  poaching  dog  in  the  very  act,  ye  should  thrash 
him  then  and  there.  But  on  the  other  hand,  ye  see,  I  would 
not  like  to  punish  a  dog  that  belonged  to  the  place — that 
would  hardly  be  my  business,  would  it  ?  Oh,  well,"  he  con- 
cluded, with  a  magnanimous  air,  "maybe  it  was  better  to  let 
him  go  for  this  once  anyway ;  I  thought  he  might  have  the 
benefit  of  the  doubt." 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  why  should  you  want  to  harm  the  poor  beast  ?" 
said  Jess;  and  therewith  they  continued  on  their  route — 
round  by  the  curve  of  the  shore,  towards  the  out-jutting  rocks. 

Barbara  was  silent  and  self-absorbed  on  the  way  home. 
For  while  these  others  had  been  watching  the  encounter  be- 
tween Mr.  McFadyen  and  the  black  collie,  she  had  been  re- 
garding the  steep  cliff  that  towered  away  upward  to  the 
ruins  of  the  ancient  castle.  It  was  over  that  cliff  that  Ogil- 
vie  would  have  fallen  headlong  if  the  school-master  had  not 
released  him  and  given  him  his  life. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

A    RING 

Next  morning,  to  Barbara's  surprise,  Allan  Ilenderson 
presented  himself;  and  the  first  glimpse  she  had  of  him 
showed  her  that  there  was  a  marked  change  in  his  outward 
appearance — he  wore  a  suit  of  light -gray  Harris  homespun, 
ami  he  had  discarded  his  slouched  felt  hat  for  a  wide-awake 
of  the  ordinary  kind.  He  at  once  explained  the  object  of 
his  visit ;  the  summer  school  vacation  had  begun  ;  he  was  a 
free  man  once  more ;  and  now  he  wanted  to  know  whether 
she  would  not  lay  aside  her  work  and  come  away  with  him 
for  an  hour  or  two's  ramble  in  the  country.  It  was  a  bold 
request,  truly,  considering  the  capricious  and  uncertain  fash- 
ion in  which  she  had  been  treating  him  of  late ;  but  perhaps 
with  this  newly-found  liberty  certain  daring,  or  even  desper- 
ate, hopes  and  fancies  had  got  hold  of  him. 

She  seemed  to  regard  the  holiday  look — the  off-duty  look 
— of  his  attire  with  distinct  approval. 

"But  what  is  the  use  of  the  country?"  she  said.  "There 
is  nothing  to  sec.  And  it  is  too  early.  If  you  come  back 
about  half-past  twelve,  I  can  he  ready  then,  and  we  will  go 
somewhere." 

lie  was  far  too  well  pleased  with  her  compliance  to  think 
of  hurrying  her;  he  went  away,  and  loitered  up  and  down 
the  esplanade,  scanning  the  various  yachts ;  then  at  the  ap- 
pointed hour  he  returned.  It  was  obvious  that  sonic  portion 
at  least  of  the  interval  Barbara  had  devoted  to  decorating 
herself  for  tins  expedition.  The  young  Queen  of  Sheba,  as 
Mr.  McFadyen  had  called  her,  was  well  hediglit. 

Nor  had  he  ever  before  found  her  so  gracious.  They  had 
gO\  I'Ht  b  little  way  from  the  house  when  they  came  to  the 
chief  fruit-  and  -flower  shop  in  Duntroonc;  and  here  she 
stopped. 


A    RING  287 

"  Come  in  for  a  moment,"  said  she,  "  and  I  will  get  you 
something  to  wear  in  your  button-hole." 

"  Thank  you,  Barbara,"  said  he,  hanging  back — with  some- 
thing of  an  impatient  frown  as  well — "  but  I  do  not  care 
about  such  things." 

She  would  not  be  denied.  She  bade  him  wait.  She  went 
into  the  shop,  and  chose  one  or  two  flowers,  tying  the  stems 
together ;  and  when  she  came  out  again,  she  herself  pinned 
the  little  nosegay  into  the  lapel  of  his  coat.  He  forgot  his 
ill-temper — her  kindness  was  so  manifest,  and  so  unexpected. 

"  You  are  no  longer  a  school  -  master,"  she  said,  with  a 
laugh ;  "  you  are  just  like  the  other  young  men  now.  And 
some  day  when  I  have  enough  pocket-money  I  will  be  buy- 
ing you  a  pair  of  gloves." 

"  Gloves  ?"  he  repeated.  "  They  are  not  much  in  my  way, 
Barbara." 

"  Ah,  but  I  see  that  you  can  make  yourself  very  nice-look- 
ing when  you  choose,"  she  went  on.  "  And  now  you  are 
no  longer  the  school-master;  now  it  is  the  holidays;  and  you 
will  be  having  plenty  of  time  to  dress  well  and  look  after 
yourself  when  you  go  out  for  a  walk." 

Indeed,  she  was  quite  animated ;  and  as  she  passed  round 
by  the  harbor  and  approached  the  South  Pier — to  which  the 
Aros  Castle  had  just  come  in — she  became  still  more  blithe 
and  communicative.  The  school-master  had  not  chosen  this 
route ;  she  had,  unperceived  by  him,  led  the  way  ;  it  mat- 
tered little  to  him  whither  they  wandered,  so  long  as  he  and 
she  were  together.  But  on  this  occasion  it  became  clear  that 
Barbara  did  not  mean  to  ignore  the  presence  of  the  purser. 
On  the  contrary,  as  they  were  passing  the  moored  steamer, 
she  stared  boldly  at  him — until  Ogilvie  averted  his  eyes  and 
went  on  with  his  work ;  and  she  talked  floutingly  and  with 
open  scorn ;  it  seemed  as  though  she  was  not  at  all  unwill- 
ing that  her  taunts  should  be  overheard. 

"  The  poor  fellow  !"  she  exclaimed.  "  No  wonder  he  is 
angry  that  he  has  to  look  after  herring-barrels !  He  is  not 
much  better  than  a  railway  porter — do  you  think  it  is  being 
any  better  than  a  railway  porter?" 

"  Quiet,  quiet,  Barbara !"  her  companion  said.  "  Let  him 
alone.     You  need  not  look  his  way,  nor  he  .yours." 


288  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  Some  day  will  you  take  Jessie  and  me  for  a  sail  to  Tober- 
mory ?"  she  demanded. 

In  other  circumstances  he  would  gladly  have  welcomed  the 
proposal ;  but  there  was  something  he  did  not  understand 
about  the  relations  between  Barbara  and  the  purser ;  a  trip 
to  Tobermory — if  it  was  to  be  on  board  the  Aros  Castle,  with 
Ogilvie  passing  to  and  fro — might  involve  a  good  deal  of  em- 
barrassment. But  in  the  meantime  they  were  now  leaving 
the  South  Pier  behind ;  Barbara,  for  the  sake  of  her  pride, 
appeared  to  make  some  effort  to  recover  her  equanimity  ;  and 
soon  they  were  toiling  up  the  slopes  of  the  Gallows  Hill,  on 
their  way  to  the  lofty  plateau  and  its  spacious  view  of  moun- 
tain, cloud,  and  sea. 

And  surely  this  was  a  day  fitted  for  the  allaying  of  tem- 
pestuous passions  —  now  as  these  two  seated  themselves  on 
the  bench  at  the  foot  of  the  flag-staff ;  a  brooding,  calm,  and 
peaceful  day ;  nor  yet  a  day  of  gloom,  for  the  soft,  white, 
woolly  skies  showed  here  and  there  a  silvery  glow  as  if  the 
sun  were  trying  to  break  through  the  thin,  transparent  veil. 
There  was  hardly  a  breath  of  wind ;  the  pale  leaden-hued  or 
lilac  plain  of  waters  did  not  stir;  a  solitary  yacht  hung  idle 
off  the  point  of  Lismore.  The  ivied  ruins  of  the  castle  were 
dark  and  distinct  and  intense  against  the  luminous  heavens; 
but  the  far  hills  in  the  west  and  north  seemed  to  have  receded 
until  they  had  grown  aerial  and  visionary — mere  ghosts  of 
mountains.  And  everywhere  a  prevailing  silence,  in  which 
could  be  heard  the  throb  of  the  paddles  of  the  Aros  Castle, 
on  her  way  across  to  the  North  Pier. 

And  whither  had  fled  now  all  the  problems,  the  doubts  and 
hesitations,  the  perplexities  with  which  lie  had  been  torturing 
himself?  lie  and  she  were  together,  the  sweet  summer  all- 
around  them;  the  world  lay  brilliant  and  beautiful  before 
them;  the  mysterious  attraction  and  allurement  <>(  youth  was 
a  trembling  and  inexplicable  delight.  And  she  was  bland  and 
complaisant;  a  marvellous  thing;  he  knew  how  it  had  all 
come  about.  What  did  it  matter  if  abstruse  menial  and  moral 
enigmas  were  all  a  blank  to  her,  so  long  as  the  wisps  and  curls 
of  her  raven-blaCK  hair  clung  caressingly  about  her  cars  and 
neck,  sn  long  as  ber  smile  said  more  than  any  words,  so  long 
as  heaven    Seemed    to  shine   in   the  liquid    deeps    of    her  eyes? 


A    RING  289 

Perhaps  she  did  not  know  much  of  the  story  of  dead  and 
gone  generations ;  but  for  every  man  and  woman  the  all-im- 
portant time  was  their  own  time ;  the  universe  for  them  was 
the  universe  in  which  they  found  themselves  alive ;  and  here 
was  one  who  could  surround  herself — and  perhaps  a  neighbor 
or  two — with  an  atmosphere  of  unimaginable  glamour.  The 
(•harm  of  books,  and  forgotten  languages,  and  distant  peoples  ? 
— there  was  a  stranger  charm  when  she  turned  her  outcurving 
lashes  towards  him,  timid,  shy,  half  coquettish  as  she  might 
chance  to  be. 

Little  need  was  there  for  talk ;  to  be  so  near  to  her  was 
enough ;  and  yet  the  one  consuming  thought  and  desire  of 
his  mind  drove  him  on  to  speech. 

"  Barbara,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice — for  there  were  one  or 
two  people  seated  on  another  bench  some  dozen  or  fifteen 
yards  away — "you  were  kind  enough  to  offer  me  a  pair  of 
gloves.  I  wish  you  would  accept  a  little  present  from  me 
— that  would  mean  more  than  that — that  would  mean  a  good 
deal  more  than  that — " 

"A  present?"  she  repeated  —  and  her  eyes  were  pleased 
and  expectant. 

"  A  ring,"  he  said.  "  Would  you  wear  a  ring  if  I  gave  it 
to  you  ?" 

"  Oh  yes,"  she  answered,  without  a  moment's  hesitation. 

"  But  do  you  understand  ?"  he  went  on.  "  Do  you  under- 
stand what  the  significance  would  be  ?" 

The  jet-black  lashes  were  lowered  now. 

"  Maybe — I  do  not  know,"  she  said. 

"  Well,  your  wearing  the  ring  would  be  a  promise — a  promise 
that  you  will  be  my  wife.     Will  you  wear  the  ring,  Barbara  ?" 

"  Yes,"  she  said. 

There  was  no  affectation  of  coyness  or  fluttering  alarm  ; 
there  was  a  touch  of  pride,  of  defiance  almost,  in  her  tone ; 
but  in  his  delirium  of  happiness  he  took  no  heed  of  such  tri- 
fles. Nay,  so  anxious  and  eager  was  he  to  make  secure  the 
prize  he  had  thus  unexpectedly  won  —  and  won  in  such  an 
amazingly  simple  fashion — that  he  would  have  her  go  away 
down  with  him,  there  and  then,  to  Mr.  Boyd  the  jeweller's, 
that  this  fateful  trinket  might  straightway  be  chosen.  And 
Barbara  seemed  nothing  loath ;  she  rose  to  her  feet. 
13 


290  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Will  tliey  be  thinking  it  strange,"  said  she,  "  if  they  sec 
me  wearing  a  ring  ?" 

"  Why,  of  course  not,"  ho  said,  joyfully  enough.  "  An  en- 
gagement ring  is  nothing  out  of  the  common.  If  any  one  is 
curious,  you  can  explain  ;  but  they  will  all  get  to  know — and 
the  sooner  the  better." 

She  did  not  appear  to  be  at  all  overwhelmed  by  the  grav- 
ity of  the  step  she  had  just  taken.  As  they  were  going 
away  down  and  into  the  town,  he  was  recalling  to  her  certain 
things  that  had  happened  since  the  night  of  the  wreck  of  the 
Sanda,  to  prove  to  her  that  this  goal  he  had  triumphantly 
reached  at  last  he  had  been  aiming  at  all  along.  But  she  in- 
terrupted him. 

"  Oh,"  she  said,  "  it  is  no  use  looking  back.  All  that  is 
gone  away  and  done.     The  present  is  enough." 

"  Indeed  it  is,"  said  he.  "  And  it  would  be  marvellous  if 
I  were  not  to  think  so." 

When  these  two  went  into  the  shop,  Mr.  Boyd,  glancing 
from  one  to  the  other,  seemed  a  little  astonished ;  but  of 
course  he  made  no  remark ;  it  was  only  when  Allan  asked 
to  be  shown  one  or  two  plain  gold  rings  that  the  jeweller 
revealed  what  was  passing  in  his  mind. 

"  Aye,  is  it  a  wedding-ring,  then  ?"  he  asked. 

At  this  Barbara  did  betray  some  slight  confusion ;  hut 
Allan  stepped  in  to  shield  her. 

"No,  no,"  saiil  he,  good  -  humoredly.  "Not  yet.  You're 
in  a  hurry,  Mr.  Boyd.  It's  only  a  little  present  I  was  think- 
ing of — " 

"  Oh  yes,  to  be  sure,"  said  the  shopkeeper,  instantly  re- 
treating from  his  false  position,  and  finding  safety  in  a  study 
of  liis  window,  from  which  he  presently  extracted  a  small 
case  of  his  glittering  wares. 

Now  in  the  natural  course  of  things  it  was  for  Allan  to 
make  his  choice,  subject  to  her  approval;  but  it  very  soon 
appeared  that  these  two  were  not  of  one  mind  in  this  matter. 
The  school -master's  fancy  had  been  attracted  by  a  simple 
gold  hoop — a  piece  of  delicate  chain-work  set,  in  a  narrow 
band;  1«  carat  the  metal  was,  and  the  price  marked  on  the 
little  ticket  w,is  twenty -five  shillings,  lint  Barbara  was 
clearly  disappointed. 


A    RING  291 

"  It  is  so  plain,"  said  she,  with  just  a  touch  of  petulance. 
"  It  is  nothing — no  one  would  notice  it — " 

"  Maybe  you  would  like  something  more  showy  ?"  Mr. 
Boyd  suggested — and  he  brought  out  another  case.  "  This 
is  a  very  nice  one." 

"Well,  the  ring  he  now  placed  before  her  was  certainly  a 
more  gaudy  ornament — it  professed  to  be  of  rubies  and  dia- 
monds, the  stones  alternating;  while  the  ticketed  price  was 
only  fifteen  shillings.  When  Barbara  took  it  in  her  hand, 
her  eyes  lit  up  with  unmistakable  pleasure. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "that  is  something  to  look  at — that  is 
something  that  can  be  seen." 

"But,  Barbara,"  remonstrated  the  school-master,  almost 
angrily,  "  you  don't  want  to  wear  imitation  things,  do  you  ? 
These  stones  are  not  real,  Mr.  Boyd  ? — of  course  not,  at  that 
price." 

"  Oh  no ;  they're  imitations ;  but  they're  very  good  imita- 
tions," answered  the  jeweller.  "  And  the  setting  is  gold — 
12-carat  gold." 

"It  is  very  pretty,  whatever,"  said  Barbara,  regarding  the 
bauble  with  fascinated  eyes ;  and  she  tried  it  on  her  finger 
to  see  how  it  looked  there  also. 

Allan  was  vexed  and  chagrined  ;  but  how  could  he  quarrel 
with  her  on  this  morning  of  all  mornings  ?  She  had  just 
given  herself  to  him — he  had  just  won  the  crown  of  life  ; 
and  was  he  to  refuse  her  her  choice  of  a  trumpery  gewgaw  ? 

"  Well,  if  you  wish  it,"  he  said.  "  But  I  should  have 
thought  you  would  have  preferred  something  real — not  bits 
of  glass — " 

"  Then  if  I  am  not  to  have  it,  I  am  not  to  have  it,"  she 
said,  shortly ;  and  she  pulled  the  ring  off  her  finger,  and 
tossed  it  aside.     "  Show  me  some  others." 

"  But  if  you  would  rather  have  it,  Barbara — "  he  was  say- 
ing, to  pacify  her,  when  she  again  interrupted  him : 

"  I  am  not  caring  for  it  any  longer.  Some  other  one — it  is 
no  matter  which  it  is." 

And  eventually  a  compromise  was  arrived  at.  It  is  true 
that  the  ring  she  ultimately  accepted  cost  more  than  either 
of  the  others  —  cost  him  well  over  a  week's  salary;  but  at 
least  the  rosette  of  garnets  which  it  bore  consisted  of  genu- 


292  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

ine  stones.  And  there  certainly  was  more  display  in  this 
deep  crimson  ornament  than  in  the  plain  gold  hoop  that  he 
had  at  first  offered  her. 

They  did  not  continue  their  expedition  farther  at  this 
time ;  but  before  they  parted,  Allan  promised  to  come  along 
in  the  evening;  he  was  impatient  to  let  Mrs.  Maclean  and 
Jessie  know  of  the  great  change  that  had  taken  place  in  his 
fortunes  and  prospects.  They  were  to  learn  of  it  before 
then.  On  her  way  home  Barbara  called  at  the  shop ;  and 
Jess,  from  behind  the  counter,  was  not  slow  in  descrying  the 
pretty  trinket. 

"  Well,  Barbara,  you  are  the  one  for  setting  yourself  off !" 
she  exclaimed.  "  And  where  did  you  get  such  a  beautiful 
thing  as  that?" 

"The  school-master,"  said  Barbara,  with  a  laugh  and  a  blush. 

Jess  was  silent  only  for  a  second. 

"  Then  —  then  it  is  settled  between  him  and  you  ?"  she 
asked,  diffidently. 

"  Oh  yes,  we  are  to  be  married,"  replied  Barbara  —  still 
regarding  the  ring.  "  Will  you  tell  your  mother,  Jessie,  that 
Allan  is  coming  along  to-night?" 

"  Yes,  I  will  tell  her.  But — but  don't  you  expect  me  to 
say  something,  Barbara?  For  I  am  sure  I  wish  that  both 
of  you  may  be  very  happy — I  am  sure  I  wish  that." 

"  And  I  am  sure  of  this,"  said  the  girl,  touched  by  the 
tone  in  which  these  words  were  spoken — "  I  am  sure  of  this, 
Jessie,  that  no  one  can  say  you  are  not  very  kind  to  those 
about  you."     And  therewith  she  left. 

All  that  long  afternoon — after  she  had  confided  these  tid- 
ings to  her  mother  —  the  ordinarily  light-hearted  Jess  was 
.strangely  preoccupied  and  silent. 

"  It  is  my  head — it  is  nothing,"  she  would  say,  in  answer 
to  her  mother's  inquiries;  and  then  again  she  would  struggle 
on  with  her  accounts. 

But  at  last  she  gave  up. 

"  Would  you  mind  attending  to  the  shop,  mother  ?"  she 
said,  with  rather  a  tired  air.  "  I  would  like  to  go  for  a  little 
walk—" 

"  But  you  will  be  back  when  Allan  calls?"  the  widow  said. 
"  He  will  he  expecting  your  congratulations — " 


WHKHE    SHE    WAS    ALONE 


A    RING  293 

"Yes,  maybe  I  will  be  back,"  Jess  said.  "Maybe.  But 
if  I  am  not,  you  will  give  him  my  best  wisbes,  mother,  and 
tell  him  I  hope  they  will  both  be  very  happy.  But  he 
knows  that — he  knows  that  is  what  I  am  wishing  for  both 
of  tbem." 

And  so  she  got  away ;  and  by  unfrequented  paths  she  stole 
out  into  the  moorland  country,  where  she  was  alone,  and 
glad  to  be  alone.  For  perhaps  "  the  foolishness  was  on  her," 
and  if  the  "  wild  tears  "  must  fall,  she  would  not  have  any  one 
know  her  shame. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

ON    A    SUMMER'S    EVENING 

To  no  one  was  the  great  news  more  welcome  than  to  the 
councillor,  who  saw  in  it  but  another  step  towards  the  realiza- 
tion of  his  own  far-reaching  schemes.  And  to  celebrate  the 
event,  and  perhaps — for  certain  dark  reasons — to  familiarize 
Jess  with  the  spectacle  of  a  pair  of  affianced  lovers,  he  came 
bustling  along  on  the  following  afternoon,  and  would  have 
the  school-master  and  the  two  girls  go  away  with  him  for  a 
sail  in  Angus  Maclsaac's  boat,  the  Kelpie.  There  was  a  fine 
brisk  breeze  blowing ;  they  would  adventure  out  into  the 
golden  regions  of  the  west;  and  the  clear  twilight  would  bring 
them  home. 

Well,  there  was  nothing  of  the  spoil-sport  about  Jess  Mac- 
lean ;  if,  on  some  rare  occasion,  the  "foolishness"  got  hold 
of  her,  then  she  took  care  to  hide  herself  away  in  solitude. 
Moreover,  these  were  Allan's  holidays;  and  during  the  work- 
ing-times of  the  year  there  was  little  enough  diversion  for 
him.  So  Jess  at  once  and  cheerfully  put  on  her  smartest 
things;  Barbara  did  the  same;  the  school-master  was  sum- 
moned ;  and  the  councillor,  having  marshalled  his  forces, 
proceeded  to  escort  them  down  to  the  sea-front,  lie  was  in 
the  noblest  of  spirits;  it  was  as  if  he  were  leading  them  on 
to  the  conquest  of  Mexico  or  the  capture  of  the  last  of  the 
Incas. 

Unfortunately,  when  they  reached  the  esplanade,  they  found 
that  the  Kelpie  was  away  somewhere,  and  Angus  with  her ; 
but  there  was  an  alternative  cutter,  the  Osprey,  lying  at  her 
moorings;  and  Maclsaac's  representative,  a  young  lad  named 
Malcolm,  was  on  the  beach.  To  do  this  youth  justice,  he 
seemed  to  hesitate  a  little  about  the  responsibility  of  letting 
the  boal  ;   bul   Mr.  McFadyen,  in  his  stormily  heroic  mood, 

would  take  no  refusal. 


on  a  summer's   evening  295 

"  You'll  come  with  us,  man,"  he  exclaimed,  "  and  at  least 
ye  know  how  to  manage  the  things  at  the  bow.  I'll  do  the 
rest ;  we'll  get  on  splendid  ;  anybody  can  sail  a  boat  on  a 
fine  summer  evening  like  this.  Oh,  I  know  something  about 
a  boat — I've  kept  my  eyes  open — you'll  see  we'll  just  get  on 
splendid." 

He  would  have  no  hanging  back;  he  carried  everything  be- 
fore him ;  he  had  himself  and  his  companions  pulled  out  in  a 
dingy  ;  they  got  on  board ;  and  the  councillor  straightway 
took  up  his  post  at  the  tiller.  Columbus,  calm  and  resolved 
in  face  of  his  insurgent  followers,  could  not  have  looked  more 
imposing.  It  is  true  he  regarded  the  movements  of  the  youth 
Malcolm  with  a  curiosity  not  unmixed  with  impatience ;  for, 
the  commander  being  at  the  helm,  why  was  nothing  going  for- 
ward— why  was  not  the  vessel  making  response  ?  But  at 
length  Malcolm  got  the  little  half-decked  cutter  slipped  from 
her  moorings,  and  she  began  to  creep  slowly  away  before  the 
wind. 

It  was  an  altogether  auspicious  setting-out ;  for  although 
there  was  a  stormy  look  about  the  skies — the  "  sun  had  set 
up  his  backstays  "  over  the  western  hills,  the  spreading  rays 
of  light  striking  downward  from  the  moving  clouds — there 
was  nothing  to  denote  that  the  breeze  would  remain  other- 
wise than  benign  and  steady ;  the  prospect  was  that  after  a 
pleasant  run  through  the  wild  sunset  fires  they  would  come 
gliding  back  through  the  still  more  wonderful  after-glow,  to 
walk  homeward  in  the  pearly  dusk.  There  was  at  this  start- 
ing only  one  little  mischance. 

"  Am  I  trusting  my  life  to  you,  Mr.  McFadyen  ?"  Jess  hap- 
pened to  say,  blithely,  as  she  made  herself  a  snug  seat  in  the 
cockpit. 

"  Aye,  Miss  Jessie,"  he  answered  her,  "  I  wish  ye  would  do 
that  for  altogether." 

But  the  confusion  caused  by  this  inadvertent  remark  was 
only  momentary ;  Jess  pretended  to  have  heard  nothing ; 
while  Peter  McFadyen  was  now,  and  rather  angrily,  trying  to 
make  out  what  the  youth  Malcolm  meant  by  certain  bashfully 
suggested  hints. 

"  Will  I  haul  up  the  main-tack,  sir  ?" 

"  What's  that  ye  say  ?" 


296  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Will  I  haul  up  the  main-tack  ?" 

"  Oh,  we're  doing  well  enough — we're  doing  fine  !"  said 
Peter,  fretfully — of  course  he  did  not  like  being  interrupted 
in  his  task  of  entertaining  his  companions. 

Nevertheless,  the  youth  —  shy  and  diffident  as  he  was — 
would  still  interfere.     He  came  aft. 

"  Will  I  slack  out  the  boom  a  bit  more,  sir?" 

« "We're  doing  fine — we're  doing  fine,  I  tell  ye  !"  retorted 
Peter,  with  obvious  irritability.  "  You  go  and  attend  to  the 
things  at  the  bow ;  I'll  manage  the  rest." 

Malcolm  was  a  biddable  lad.  He  went  forward  again.  He 
only  ventured  to  say,  as  he  stood  by  the  mast, 

"  Will  I  hoist  the  foresail,  sir  ?" 

"  What  ?"  bawled  Peter. 

"  Will  I  hoist  the  foresail  ?" 

"  Oh,  hoist  your  grandmother !  Do  ye  no  see  that  we're 
just  fleein' ?" 

And,  indeed,  they  were  just  fleeing.  For  the  wind  was  from 
the  east ;  and  now  that  they  were  getting  out  from  the  bay, 
the  gusts  from  over  the  cliffs  struck  frequent  and  hard,  so  that 
the  Osprey  went  tearing  along  at  an  admirable  pace,  the  foam 
churning  at  her  bows.  And  Jess  was  merry;  and  the  coun- 
cillor was  delighted;  and  Barbara  could  show  off  her  ring, 
with  its  rosette  of  garnets  ;  the  school-master  alone  seemed  to 
have  doubts  about  the  wisdom,  and  the  possible  result,  of 
this  performance. 

"  I  say,  my  friend,"  he  observed  to  the  steersman,  "this  is 
all  very  well,  but  how  are  we  going  to  get  back  ?  Don't  you 
think  we'd  better  keep  up  to  windward — and  try  along  the 
Sound — if  you  like — " 

"Down  the  Sound  of  Kcrrara — and  a  squally  east  wind 
blowing?"  cried  Peter,  with  explosive  hilarity.  "Na,  na — 
not  me  !  I  wasna  born  yesterday  !  It's  just  the  very  mis- 
chief when  the  squalls  come  down  on  ye  in  the  Sound  ;  where- 
as here  we're  in  the  open  ;   and  if  there's  anything  to  make  a 

bother,  ye  can  see  it   before  it  strikes  ye.     Man,  it's  a  fine 

thing    to     feel     ;i     boat      just    fieem'    l.elieatll    yC  !       And    .'111     east 

wind's  ;i  land  wind  ;  where  can  the  tronble  be? — tell  me  that ! 
Come,  Miss  Jessie,  sing  ils  a  song,  now  !  Aye,  you  can  sing, 
for  all  that  you're  so  Mate  ahout  it,  and  it's  so  difficult  to  get 


ON   a   summer's  evening  297 

ye  to  open  your  mouth.  We're  just  fleein'.  It's  a  fine  boat, 
this.  Give  us  a  song,  Miss  Barbara — come,  now  !  A  fine 
boat — she  answers  to  the  helm  just  as  if  she  was  a  living 
thing.  T.  tell  ye,  it's  a  grand  thing  to  be  in  a  healthy  climate 
like  this — I  could  near  sing  a  song  myself — " 

"  We're  all  waiting  for  you,  Mr.  McFadyen  !"  said  Jess. 

"Aye,  and  do  ye  want  me  to  make  an  ass  of  myself?"  de- 
manded Peter.  "  Well,  I  will.  I  would  rather  make  an  ass 
of  myself  than  not  keep  the  thing  going,  when  I'm  out  on  a 
frolic  of  this  kind.  What  is  it  to  be  ?  Dod,  I'll  make  an  ass 
of  myself,  if  ye  like — " 

"  Why,  every  one  knows  you  sing  very  well,  Mr.  McFad- 
yen," said  Jess,  with  not  a  thought  of  sarcasm  in  her  mind. 

"  I'll  tell  ye  a  good  one  now,"  said  Mr.  McFadyen,  and  his 
small  roguish  eyes  were  twinkling  mirthfully — "  a  real  good 
one.  There  was  a  chap  I  Tniew  and  he  was  boasting  of  his 
fine  teeth,  and  says  he,  '  I  never  once  beheld  the  face  of  a 
dentist — I  mean  in  anger.'  '  In  anger,  says  he.  '  Never  be- 
held the  face  of  a  dentist — in  anger' — "  And  here  Peter 
burst  into  such  a  guffaw  of  laughter,  and  paid  such  small  at- 
tention to  the  swaying  tiller,  that  only  the  merciful  little 
cherub  that  sits  up  aloft  could  have  said  how  a  most  ruthless 
gybe  was  avoided. 

"  But  the  song,  Mr.  McFadyen  ?"  said  Jess. 

For  a  second  time  Peter  grew  grave  ;  he  was  considering. 
Then  arose  an  unearthly  howl : 

" '  Cam''  ye  by  Athol,  lad  wV  the  philabeg, 

Down  by  the   Tummel,  or  banks  d1  the  Garry? 
Saio  ye  the  lads  wp  their  bounds  and  while  cockades, 

Leaving  their  mountains  to  follow  Prince  Charlie? 
Follow  thee,  follow  thee,  wha  wadna  follow  thee — 

Lang  hast  thou  loved  and  trusted  us  fairly  I 
Charlie,  Charlie,  wha  wadna  follow  thee — 

King  o'  the  Highland  hearts,  Bonnie  Prince  Charlie  P" 

The  high-pitched  "  wha  "  was  almost  beyond  him  ;  but  Mr. 
McFadyen  was  not  the  man  to  give  in  ;  he  attacked  it  gal- 
lantly ;  and  the  result  was  a  screech  that  must  have  startled 
the  distant  jackdaws  far  up  among  the  ivied  ruins  of  Dun- 
troone  Castle. 

"  It's  a  little  thing  high  for  me,"  he  remarked,  with  an  air 
13* 


298  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

of  apology  ;  and  lie  did  not  venture  on  a  second  verse  ;  h'e 
was  again  observing  the  movements  of  the  lad  Malcolm — who 
had  come  aft  to  haul  in  the  main-sheet,  now  that  they  were 
taking  a  more  southerly  course,  with  the  wind  on  their  beam. 

"  Well,  Barbara,"  said  the  school-master,  "  do  you  see  the 
Lady  Rock  over  yonder  ?" 

The  girl  looked  up  in  quick  alarm. 

"  We're  not  going  near  there  !"  she  exclaimed. 

"  No,  no,"  said  the  councillor,  gayly.  "  We'll  just  hold 
right  on,  and  give  ye  a  look  at  the  Mull  coast.  It's  a  deso- 
late place ;  a  passing  glimpse  is  all  ye'll  want." 

However,  as  it  turned  out,  they  were  to  have  more  than  a 
passing  glimpse.  For  as  time  went  on,  those  squalls  from 
the  east  became  more  and  more  violent  and  vicious,  and 
with  each  successive  gust  the  too  heavily  canvassed  boat 
would  go  heeling  over,  with  a  prodigious  rattle  of  the  loose 
spars  on  deck.  The  school-master  did  not  at  all  like  the  as- 
pect of  affairs  ;  but  he  was  loath  to  call  in  question  the  coun- 
cillor's seamanship,  lest  he  should  frighten  the  young  wom- 
en ;  while  the  lad  Malcolm  had  ceased  to  make  any  further 
suggestions — he  watched  those  tearing  and  howling  blasts, 
and  then  glanced  uneasily  towards  the  steersmen  to  see  what 
he  would  do.  Mr.  McFadyen  of  course  was  not  to  be  daunted 
by  any  buffeting  of  wind  and  waves  ;  outwardly  at  least  he 
maintained  a  perfectly  careless  demeanor;  he  was  even  face- 
tious at  times  ;  but  it  was  too  evident  that  his  jocundity  was 
forced.  And  meanwhile  Barbara  was  beginning  to  show 
signs  of  abject  terror. 

"  1  say,  McFadyen,  this  '11  never  do,"  Allan  interposed  at 
last.  "  We  should  have  taken  down  a  COUple  of  reefs  before 
coming  out  in  this  squally  weather.  Or  couldn't  you  lower 
the  peak,  to  take  the  strain  off  her?  Anyhow,  we  must  try  to 
work  our  way  back." 

"Aye,  just  that,"  responded  the  councillor,  with  assumed 
equanimity.  "Oh  yes,  I  suppose  we  may  as  well  go  back 
now.      WC've  hail  a  line  spin — and  now  we'll  go  back." 

Which  was  all  very  well;  but  to  run  before  a  series  of 
s<|iialls  is  one  thing,  and  to  light-  back  against,  them  is  an- 
other. Ami  now  these  ousts  continued  to  increase  in  fury, 
insomuch  that  the  councillor,  hardly  concealing  his  dismay, 


on  a  summer's  evening  299 

would  seek  a  precarious  safety  in  jamming  the  boat's  head 
into  the  wind,  where  she  would  stagger  for  a  second  or  so 
with  the  sails  cracking  and  flapping.  Then  just  as  often  as 
not  she  would  fill  on  the  other  side — with  her  weather  sheets 
home;  and  here  again  would  be  further  commotion  —  the 
clinging  folk  in  the  cockpit  being  flung  about  like  pease  in  a 
bladder.  And  all  this  time  the  cutter  was  steadily  drifting — 
drifting  on  to  a  lee  shore  ;  and  that  lee  shore  the  east  coast 
of  Mull. 

"Here,  you,"  called  out  McFadyen,  in  his  anger  and  desper- 
ation, "  what's  the  price  of  this  boat?" 

The  lad  Malcolm  did  not  answer ;  he  seemed  bewildered. 

"I've  a  great  mind,"  Peter  called  out  again,  savagely,  "  to 
run  her  over  to  Mull  there,  and  bang  her  up  on  the  beach !" 

"  Oh  yes,  yes  !"  cried  Barbara,  piteously  ;  "  anywhere  that 
wc  can  get  ashore  !" 

"Would  I  not  be  doing  right?  —  would  I  not  be  doing 
right  ?"  he  said,  eagerly  appealing  to  her  for  confirmation. 
"  What  do  I  care  for  the  cost  of  a  boat  ?  Human  lives  are 
of  more  value.  I  am  responsible  for  your  safety  ;  what  do  I 
care  for  this  rotten  old  beast  of  a  boat,  that  cannot  sail  any 
more  than  a  cow  ?  You,  lad,  there,  get  out  an  oar,  and  put 
her  head  away  from  the  wind  ;  I'm  going  to  run  her  up  on 
the  nearest  shore,  that's  what  I'm  going  to  do,  and  ye  may 
get  the  splinters  back  to  Duntroone  as  best  ye  can." 

Almost  immediately  thereafter  there  seemed  to  fall  around 
them  an  amazing  calm  and  quiet ;  the  tumult  appeared  to 
cease ;  they  were  gliding  smoothly  along  with  the  hurrying 
waves,  the  main-sheet  slacked  out,  the  jib  drawing  steadily. 
Nor  had  Allan  the  heart  to  protest  against  this  ignominious 
surrender,  when  he  saw  the  agony  of  fright  that  Barbara  was 
in  ;  her  sole  prayer  was  to  get  to  land  ;  she  did  not  care  where 
or  how.  And  the  councillor,  smarting  under  the  humiliating 
consciousness  of  defeat,  was  as  good  as  his  word ;  his  teeth 
were  set  hard,  his  looks  sullen ;  he  steered  neither  to  the 
right  nor  to  the  left,  for  the  navigation  of  Loch  Speliv  and 
that  of  Loch  Don  were  equally  unknown  to  him  ;  he  was 
resolved  upon  running  this  unmanageable  boat  right  up  on 
the  nearest  shore — and  he  did  it. 

Not  that  it  was  accomplished  without  a  good  deal  of  con- 


300  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

fusion.  As  they  neared  the  beach  there  was  a  thunder  of 
breaking  waves  all  around  ;  then  of  a  sudden  the  bow  of  the 
cutter  seemed  to  rise  in  the  air  ;  she  swung  over  to  star- 
board, the  boom  splashing  into  the  water  ;  spray  began  to 
break  over  the  stern ;  and  the  wrecked  company  proceeded 
to  get  forward  and  clamber  down  by  the  bowsprit  shrouds 
and  the  bobstay.  Of  course  they  got  pretty  well  wet  in  the 
tumbling  surf ;  but  at  least  they  had  now  gained  solid  land 
— in  a  strange  twilight,  under  the  shadows  of  the  hills.  And 
the  boat  ? 

"  Let  the  boat  go  to  the  devil !"  said  Peter,  furiously,  as 
he  knocked  the  water  out  of  his  nether  garments.  "  Let  her 
go  to  the  bottom  !  She's  not  fit  for  anything  else.  A  boat 
that  cannot  sail  is  better  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  than  any- 
where else." 

"  Well,"  said  Allan,  with  a  more  philosophic  air,  "  I  sup- 
pose we'll  have  to  search  for  some  farm-house  or  some  cot- 
ter's hut,  where  Jessie  and  Barbara  can  be  sheltered  for  the 
night ;  and  I  will  make  my  way  to  Craigenure  or  some  such 
place,  and  try  to  get  a  telegram  sent  to  Mrs.  Maclean." 

"  But  the  lad — what  about  the  young  lad  ?"  asked  the  ever- 
considerate  Jess. 

The  lad  Malcolm,  who  had  not  made  any  remark  during 
all  this  transaction,  was  now  engaged  in  getting  down  the 
main-sail  ;  and  as  the  bow  of  the  boat  was  firmly  embedded 
in  sea-weed  :md  shingle — and  as  the  jib  remained  sheeted 
home — it  appeared  quite  possible  that  she  would  not  swing 
broadside  on  to  the  beach.  They  called  to  him  to  come 
ashore  ;  but  he  answered  something  about  a  hedge.  At  all 
events,  he  was  in  no  danger — when  he  chose  he  could  clam- 
ber down  from  the  bowsprit  with  no  greater  damage  than 
wet,  knees. 

But  tins  was  a  most  uncanny  region  in  which  they  now 
found  themselves:  a  solitary  and  voiceless  region — no  sign 

of  any  human  habitation — n<>  sign  of  any  road — nothing  but 
undulations  of  pocky  moorland  and  heather  leading  up  to 
precipitous  and  sterile  crags.  And  DO  less  remarkable  was 
it  when  they  turned  from  this  clear,  intense  twilight  to  re- 
gard the  glowing  and  warm-colored  world  they  had  left  be- 
hind; for  the  storm  seemed  already  to  have  abated  consid- 


ON   a  summer's  evening  301 

erably,  and  away  over  by  Cruachan  and  Cruach  Lerags  and 
Loch  Feochan  the  skies  were  quite  serene. 

"  Barbara,"  said  the  school-master,  timidly — not  wishing  to 
provoke  her  to  any  petulance,  "  don't  you  think  you  would 
make  another  trial  ?  We  may  be  wandering  about  this  coast 
all  through  the  night  without  finding  a  house — and  Mrs. 
Maclean  will  be  very  anxious.  The  wind  seems  to  be  slack- 
ening down — " 

"AVill  you  keep  away  from  the  Lady  Rock?"  she  said, 
with  terrified  eyes. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  he  answered  her.  "  I  quite  understand  why 
you  should  be  nervous — I  quite  understand  that ;  but  we 
can  keep  well  away  from  the  Lady  Rock  ;  we  will  be  mak- 
ing across  for  Kerrara  and  the  entrance  to  the  bay.  If  the 
lad  has  put  out  a  kedge  we  might  get  the  boat  floated  off, 
for  the  tide  is  on  the  flood  ;  and  anything  would  be  better 
than  wandering  about  the  shores  of  Mull  all  night." 

And  eventually  he  did  persuade  her  to  go  down  to  the 
beach  again,  though  she  still  looked  on  the  disabled  Osprey 
with  evident  apprehension.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that 
meanwhile  the  squalls  had  moderated  in  vehemence. 

"Allan,"  said  Jess,  demurely,  "do  you"  not  think  that 
Mr.  McFadyen  has  had  enough  of  the  hard  work  ?  Why 
should  you  not  sail  the  boat  back  ?" 

He  looked  at  her ;  and  whenever  the  eyes  of  those  two 
met  there  was  an  instant  intelligence  between  them. 

"  Oh,  I'll  take  my  turn,"  said  he.  "  Yes,  I'll  take  my 
turn.     And  we'll  try  her  with  a  little  less  canvas  on  her." 

It  was  a  tedious  and  difficult  business  getting  the  boat 
floated  off  again ;  but  at  last  they  had  her  under  way,  with 
her  main-sail  double-reefed ;  and  as  Allan  was  now  in  charge 
of  the  tiller,  it  fell  to  the  gay  McFadyen  to  beguile  the  time 
and  cheer  his  companions  with  song.  He  sang  of  "  Craigie 
Burn  Wood;"  he  sang  "My  Nannie's  awa';"  he  sang  "There 
grows  a  bonnie  brier  bush,"  and  "Flow  gently,  sweet  Afton," 
and  "  Logie  o'  Buchan,  O  Logie  the  laird,"  and  many  another 
well-established  favorite.  And  all  the  while  they  were  sail- 
ing through  an  enchanted  world  of  fire  and  splendor ;  and 
when,  after  the  long  beat  to  windward,  they  entered  Dun- 
troone   Bay,  there   was   a  golden  moon  in   the   south,  and 


302  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

the    lapping   waters   glanced   and   shivered   in    this    new   ra- 
diance. 

"  All's  well  that  ends  well,"  said  Peter,  as  he  courageously 
stepped  ashore.  "  We've  had  a  splendid  sail,  and  a  fine  ad- 
venture. And  after  all,  maybe  it's  better  for  us  to  be  back 
on  the  main-land  rather  than  passing  the  night  in  some  lonely 
wee  public-house  in  the  east  of  Mull." 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

IN    THE    SOUND    OF    MULL 

These  ought  to  have  been  halcyon  days  for  the  school- 
master—  vacation  -  time — a  newly  won  and  beautiful  sweet- 
heart— and  the  winding  shores,  the  solitary  bays,  and  the 
wild  hills  of  the  West  Highlands  for  their  long  summer  ram- 
bles. Then  he  had  found  an  easy  way  of  propitiating  her  to 
kindness  and  even  to  gratitude ;  when  he  brought  her  some 
little  bit  of  millinery  ornament  she  was  as  pleased  as  an  in- 
fant with  a  new  toy.  Nor  did  he  greatly  deprecate  the  love 
of  finery  and  the  love  of  display  that  appeared  to  have  gradu- 
ally taken  possession  of  her  since  she  came  to  live  in  Dun- 
troone.  In  many  respects  she  was  but  a  child ;  and  in  her 
very  childishness  and  ignorance  there  was  for  him  a  mysteri- 
ous charm.  Philosophy  —  poetry  —  history:  these  were  all 
written  about  human  life ;  but  here  was  that  strangest  of  all 
strange  things,  a  human  life  itself — wonderful,  incomprehen- 
sible, and  yet  dowered  with  an  increasing  and  enthralling  fas- 
cination. Halcyon  days  indeed,  "  the  golden  age — the  gold- 
en age  come  back." 

No,  he  did  not  grudge  her  these  pretty  trifles — though  he 
would  rather  have  been  saving  up  the  cost  of  them  for  more 
important  ends ;  and  he  was  glad  to  see  her  wearing  them ; 
and  proud  of  her  appearance  at  all  times.  But  now  a  much 
more  serious  matter  intervened.  When  they  came  to  discuss 
the  question  of  choosing  a  house,  he  found  that  Barbara's 
ideas  and  claims  were  of  a  kind  to  take  his  breath  away. 

"  You  will  be  giving  up  your  lodgings,"  said  she,  boldly, 
"  and  why  should  you  not  give  up  the  rooms  for  your  classes 
as  well,  and  put  everything  in  one,  so  that  you  could  have  a 
good  house  like  Rose  Bank  ?" 

"  Rose  Bank  ?"  said  he,  in  astonishment.  "  Do  you  know 
what  the  rent  of  Rose  Bank  is  likely  to  be,  Barbara  ?" 


304  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  They  are  telling  me,"  she  responded,  without  flinching, 
"  that  your  classes  are  sure  to  be  ffcttinp-  bigger  and  bigger." 

"  I  wonder,"  said  he,  good-naturedly,  "  who  ever  heard  of  a 
poor  school-master  being  able  to  pay  for  a  view !" 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  very  fine  view,"  said  Barbara.  "  And  I  would 
like  to  see  the  steamers  coming  into  the  bay  and  going  out ; 
and  every  one  coming  in  and  going  out  would  see  the  house." 

"  And  what  would  they  think  ?  They  would  think  I  had 
married  a  fortune  !" 

"  And  why  not,  then  ?"  she  retorted,  audaciously.  "  Let 
them  think  that,  if  they  like  !  They  are  welcome  to  think 
that,  if  they  like  !" 

He  did  not  pursue  the  argument  further,  for  she  was  apt  to 
grow  petulant  when  opposed  ;  but  on  the  earliest  possible  op- 
portunity he  went  along  to  call  on  Mr.  McFadycn,  who  he  im- 
agined would  be  sure  to  know  all  about  rents  and  rates  and 
taxes,  and  the  cost  of  furniture.  Mr.  McFadycn  was  in  his 
office  ;  and  when  he  was  told  of  Barbara's  ambitious  project, 
he  openly  laughed. 

"Rose  Bank  ?"  said  the  merry  councillor.  "I'm  thinking, 
Allan,  lad,ye'd  soon  be  Rose  Bankrupt!  What  would  be  the 
use  of  that  big  garden  to  you  ?  See,  now,  I'll  just  take  down 
my  hat,  and  we'll  go  out  for  a  half-hour's  stroll  here  and  there, 
and  have  a  look  round  ;  maybe  we  may  light  on  something  a 
little  more  practical  than  Rose  Bank." 

So  the  two  left  the  office  together,  and  set  out  on  their 
house-hunting  expedition  ;  though  it  soon  began  to  look  as  if 
this  freak  of  generosity  on  the  part  of  the  councillor  had  not 
been  wholly  altruistic.  He,  also,  seemed  anxious  to  have  ad- 
\  ice  and  assurance. 

"  You're  a  clever  fellow,  Allan,"  he  went  on  to  say,  "  and 
learned  and  deep  i"  metapheesics  and  the  like  o'that;  and 
[Ve  been  wanting  to  pttt  a  question  to  you.  I've  been  want- 
ing to  ask  you  whether  it  is  his  real  self  that  a  man  reveals  to 
himself  in  his  dreams.  Ye  see,  it's  this  way.  I  don't  boast 
that  I  have  more  courage  than  other  folk;  Iwouldna  do  that-; 
hut  I  hope  I  have  ray  share — it's  reasonable  to  hope  I  have 
my  share.  Well,  then,  if  in  a  dream  ye  feel  yourself  a  terri- 
ble, terrible  COWard,  and  if  ye  act  as  a  coward,  is  that  your 
real  self — is  that    how  ye  would  act,  if  the  circumstances  were 


IN    THE    SOUND    OF    MULL  305 

to  happen  to  ye  in  real  life  ?  Ye  see,  it's  this  way.  The  night 
before  last  I  had  a  long  and  harassing  dream  :  I  thought  I  was 
a  soldier — and  there  was  going  to  be  a  battle — and  we  were 
all  drawn  up  in  ranks — in  a  half  kind  of  darkness,  for  the 
daylight  was  not  yet  declared.  The  enemy — savages — was 
coming  near;  every  moment  we  expected  to  hear  the  tiring  be- 
gin. I  tell  ye.  the  mortal  fear  that  I  was  in  I  cannot  describe 
to  ye.  There  was  a  great  big  man  in  front  of  me,  and  I  kept 
behind  him  as  well  as  I  could,  and  thought  he  might  shelter 
me  from  the  bullets.  And  then  there  was  a  corporal,  or  a  cap- 
tain, or  somebody  like  that  standing  behind  us ;  and  says  I  to 
him,  in  a  clever,  off-hand  sort  of  way,  '  Ye  need  not  think  I'm 
frightened  ;  I'm  just  going  along  to  sharpen  my  sword  on  the 
door-step — it's  a  wee  thing  blunt.'  And  then  I  moved  off  to 
an  empty  house  that  was  hard  by ;  and  I  passed  in,  and  went 
away  up  to  an  attic  ;  and  thinks  I  to  myself, '  Now  I'll  crouch 
down  here  in  the  dark  ;  and  when  it's  all  over,  I'll  go  out 
again,  and  flourish  my  sword,  and  they'll  think  I  was  through 
everything.'  And  then  thinks  I,  '  But  if  the  savages  drive 
back  our  men,  will  the  black  devils  come  up  the  stair,  and 
find  me,  and  drag  me  out  V  Dod,  I  was  in  a  terrible  way ; 
but  I  hid  close  all  the  same  ;  and  the  firing  began — crack ! 
crack ! — until  I  couldna  help  creeping  up  and  looking  out  of 
the  window  ;  and  as  sure  as  death,  along  with  our  men,  fac- 
ing the  savages,  there  was  a  woman.  And  says  I  to  myself, 
'  Have  ye  not  as  much  courage  as  that  woman  V — and  even 
then  I  would  have  gone  down  the  stair,  and  gone  out,  but  I 
declare  to  ye  my  knees  were  shaking  so  that  I  could  not  cross 
the  floor.  What  happened  after  that  I'm  no  sure  ;  but  I  ask  ye 
■ — AVas  that  me  ?  Was  that  my  real  self  ?  Is  that  what  I  would 
have  felt,  what  I  would  have  done,  in  a  real  battle  ?  It's  been 
distressing  me,  man,  beyond  measure  !  Was  that  my  real  self  V 
"  Oh  no,  not  necessarily !"  Allan  replied,  and  the  councillor 
seemed  instantly  to  experience  considerable  relief.  "  Just  as 
often  as  not  a  man  does  things  in  dreams  that  he  would  never 
think  of  in  real  life — is  a  perfectly  different  person,  in  short. 
The  chances  are  you  may  be  dreaming  when  your  vitality  is  at 
its  lowest  point — the  bravest  man  may  imagine  himself  as  tim- 
orous as  a  mouse — the  wandering  brain  may  suggest  all  kinds 
of  horrors — " 


306  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Because,"  said  Mr.  McFadyen,  thoughtfully,  "  I  would  not 
like  to  think  myself  just  such  a  coward  as  all  that  comes  to. 
And  yet — -well,  I  have  been  trying  to  screw  up  my  courage — 
and — and  slackening  away  again.  And  I  have  been  wonder- 
ing— yes,  I  will  confess  this  to  you — I  have  been  wondering 
what  was  the  best  way  to  ask  a  young  woman  if  she  will  mar- 
ry you  ?" 

"  I  suppose  every  man  has  to  find  that  out  for  himself," 
Allan  answered. 

"  Aye,  do  ye  say  that?"  the  councillor  rejoined,  with  a  med- 
itative air.  "  Do  ye  say  that?  Every  man  to  find  out  for  him- 
self." And  then  he  heaved  a  pensive  sigh.  "  I'm  thinking  it's 
a  terrible  business,"  said  he,  absently. 

On  the  first  expedition  they  were  unsuccessful — it  was  not 
a  good  time  of  the  year  for  house-hunting,  when  nearly  every 
place,  big  or  little,  was  let;  but  within  the  next  day  or  two 
Allan  heard  of  a  small  villa  up  in  Battery  Terrace  that  would 
become  vacant  in  about  a  month's  time,  and  he  persuaded  Bar- 
bara to  go  with  him  to  look  at  it.  Barbara  was  at  first  clearly 
disappointed  by  the  size  of  this  two-storied  tenement;  but  its 
position — the  position  of  the  whole  of  the  Terrace,  indeed — 
was  certainly  conspicuous  enough  ;  it  commanded  a  view  over 
the  whole  of  the  bay.  The  lady  in  occupation  —  who  was 
merely  a  summer  tenant — appeared  to  recognize  the  situation 
of  affairs  ;  she  displayed  quite  a  friendly  interest  in  this  shy 
and  beautiful-eyed  young  creatine  ;  and  was  most  amiable  in 
showing  her  the  not  over-numerous  apartments.  The  strange 
tiling  was  that  when  they  came  Out  again,  Barbara's  first  re- 
mark had  no  reference  to  this  house  they  had  been  exam- 
ining. 

"  When  will  you  be  taking  Jessie  and  me  to  Tobermory?" 
she  asked. 

"  Tobermory  will  not  run  away,"  he  said,  trying  to  get 
"lit  of  it  in  this  fashion.  "It  will  wait  for  us.  There's  no 
hurry." 

"  Ymii  said  you  would  take  us,"  she  persisted. 

"  Hut  if  you  wish  for  a  sail,  why  not   lake  the  Grenadier, 

ami    hi    us  go  all   the  way  round,  and   have  a   look   at   StalTa, 

and  tona,  and  the  islands?" 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  see   islands,"  she  said,  almost  sullenly; 


IN    THE    SOUND    OF    MULL  307 

"  I  have  had  enough  of  islands.  I  wish  to  see  the  people  in 
Tobermory  who  are  Mrs.  Maclean's  relatives,  for  they  are  my 
relatives  too." 

Well,  he  was  most  reluctant — though  he  could  hardly  have 
explained  why — to  go  anywhere  in  the  Aros  Castle;  yet, 
after  all,  this  was  but  a  trifling  favor ;  whereas  she  had  grant- 
ed to  him  the  greatest  he  could  have  demanded  of  her.  Had 
she  not  acceded  to  his  prayer  that  the  wedding  should  take 
place  in  these  present  summer  holidays — though  many  a  girl 
would  have  insisted  on  a  longer  engagement? 

"  Very  well,  then,"  he  said,  "  as  soon  as  you  like  " — and 
without  more  ado  she  would  have  him  at  once  go  down  with 
her  to  see  Jess,  and  make  plans  for  the  trip. 

And  thus  it  was  that  on  one  of  these  mornings  the  school- 
master called  for  these  two  girls,  and  together  they  set  forth, 
leaving  the  precincts  of  the  town,  and  making  for  the  South 
Pier,  where  the  Aros  Castle  was  lying.  For  this  excursion 
Barbara  had  certainly  decked  herself  out  in  her  best  and 
bravest ;  and  again  she  had  compelled  him  to  wear  a  flower 
in  the  lapel  of  his  light-gray  coat ;  indeed,  he  and  she  might 
well  have  been  taken  for  bride  and  bridegroom  away  on  their 
honey-moon  tour,  had  it  not  been  for  the  presence  of  Jess, 
whose  costume,  neat  and  trim  as  always,  was  nevertheless  not 
of  a  showy  kind.  And  yet,  in  spite  of  the  general  holiday 
appearance  of  this  little  party,  Allan  Henderson's  face  was 
grave.  He  could  not  but  remember  what  had  happened  on  a 
recent  occasion. 

"  Barbara,"  said  he,  in  something  of  an  undertone,  when 
they  were  approaching  the  steamer,  "  I  do  not  know  what 
quarrel  you  have  with  Ogilvie ;  but  I  hope  at  least  you  will 
not  make  any  public  display  of  it." 

"  I  am  not  wishing  to  have  anything  whatever  to  do  with 
Ogilvie,"  she  said,  with  her  head  erect. 

And  here,  sure  enough,  was  the  purser,  who  regarded  them 
with  not  a  little  surprise,  especially  when  he  saw  that  they 
were  actually  coming  on  board.  All  the  same  he  advanced  to 
meet  them — with  a  kind  of  doubtful  look  on  his  face.  It 
was  Barbara  who  went  first  along  the  gangway.  He  raised 
his  cap — waiting  for  her  to  decide  whether  there  was  to  be 
any  further  greeting ;  in  response  to  his  salutation  she  ac- 


308  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

corded  him  the  briefest  and  frigidest  of  little  bows,  then  she 
turned  haughtily  away,  without  a  word.  Jess  came  next ;  but 
with  the  ever-friendly  Jess  there  was  no  trouble  ;  he  shook 
hands  with  her,  and  said,  "  I  hope  you  are  very  well,  Miss 
Jessie" ;  and  she  passed  blithely  and  smilingly  on.  As  be- 
tween the  two  men  there  was  but  the  common  and  familiar 
nod,  which  meant  nothing :  it  bespoke  neither  friendship  nor 
enmity.  Altogether,  whatever  embarrassment  may  have  been 
felt,  none  was  allowed  to  become  manifest ;  besides,  the  pur- 
ser had  his  multifarious  duties  to  attend  to;  there  was  every 
excuse  for  his  not  coming  and  paying  further  attention  to 
these  acquaintances  of  his. 

Barbara  would  remain  on  this  upper  deck,  so  Allan  went 
and  fetched  three  camp-stools.  She  was  quite  gay  and  talk- 
ative ;  she  was  in  holiday  mood  as  well  as  in  holiday  attire  ; 
indeed,  Jess  had  an  uneasy  feeling  that  she  was  making  a 
parade  of  her  high  spirits  and  general  satisfaction.  How- 
ever, there  was  a  good  deal  of  bustle  going  on  around ;  for 
now  the  passengers  had  arrived  from  the  train ;  the  cables 
were  being  thrown  off ;  and  presently  the  Aros  Castle  was 
steaming  across  to  the  North  Pier.  Then,  after  a  brief  delay, 
the  voyage  was  resumed ;  slowly,  but  with  increasing  speed, 
they  crept  away  from  the  houses ;  they  passed  the  lofty 
Rock  with  its  time-worn  ruins ;  they  stood  away  out  into  the 
swift-glancing  blue  waters  of  the  Frith  of  Lorn.  It  was  a 
perfecl  day,  the  colors  on  the  hills  were  of  a  velvet  softness, 
with  bei-e  and  there  a  stain  of  ethereal  purple,  from  some  high 
and  almost,  motionless  cloud.  The  air  was  sweet  and  fresh, 
with  a  sharp  and  keen  sea-flavor  in  it. 

I  hit  as  they  drew  towards  Mull,  Barbara's  ostentatious  en- 
joyment, became  moderated  somewhat;  and  once  or  twice  she 
looked  apprehensively  forward. 

"Don't  you  be  afraid,  Barbara,"  the  school-master  said  to 
her,  reassuringly  ;  "  we  arc  not  going  anywhere  near  the 
Lady  Rock.  Of  course  I  can  well  understand  your  being 
nervous:  that  must  have  been  a  bad  hour  or  two  you  spent, 
on  the  rocks  there,  in  the  darkness,  t  hough    there    was  not  SO 

much  cause  for  alarm,  if  you  had  only  known.  Now,"  lie 
went  on — talking  for  the  sake  of  talk,  to  distract  her  atten- 
tion from    the  solitary  reef,  round    which    the  calm   summer 


IN    THE     SOUND     OF    MULL  309 

seas  were  now  peacefully  lapping — "  there  might  have  been 
something  to  terrify  you  on  the  night  that  Mr.  McFadyen 
ran  us  ashore  on  the  coast  of  Mull.  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
Ewen  of  the  little  head?" 

"  No,"  said  she,  looking  up. 

"  Well,  that  is  the  district  he  haunts — from  Duart  to  Loch- 
buie,"  he  proceeded,  "  and  if  we  had  had  to  wander  about 
during  the  night,  you  might  have  seen  the  wild  horseman 
leaping  over  chasms  and  spurring  up  the  sides  of  precipitous 
cliffs.     That  might  indeed  have  terrified  you — " 

"  But  who  was  he  ?"  she  demanded ;  her  eyes  were  begin- 
ning to  "  glower,"  as  they  always  did  when  a  phantom  story 
was  told  her. 

"  Ewen  of  the  little  head  ?"  he  repeated.  "  Eobhann  a' 
chinn  bhig — he  was  the  eldest  son  of  one  of  the  Maclaines  of 
Lochbuie ;  and  as  he  was  rebellious  and  turbulent  his  father 
was  forced  to  call  in  his  kinsman,  Maclean  of  Duart,  to  sub- 
due him.  Duart  got  together  his  men  and  marched  down 
towards  Lochbuie ;  and  there  was  to  be  a  great  battle ;  and 
the  night  before  the  battle  Ewen  of  the  little  head  went  to  a 
witch  to  ask  her  if  he  was  to  win  on  the  morrow.  But  I 
should  have  told  you  that  Ewen  was  married  to  a  woman  of 
great  meanness  and  parsimony.  Very  well.  When  he  had 
asked  the  witch,  she  says  to  him,  '  To-morrow  morning,  at 
breakfast,  if  your  wife  gives  you  butter  without  your  asking 
for  it,  then  you  will  win  the  battle.'  Next  morning  at  break- 
fast Ewen  waited  and  waited,  and  his  wife  offered  him 
nothing.  '  Why  are  you  drum-drumming  with  your  feet  on 
the  ground  ?'  says  she — for  he  was  in  a  terrible  rage.  '  It  is 
better  for  a  man  to  be  slain,'  says  he,  '  than  live  in-doors  with 
a  bad  wife.'  And  with  that  he  rushed  out,  and  called  his 
followers  to  the  battle ;  and  almost  at  the  very  first  onset  he 
had  his  head  slashed  from  his  shoulders  with  one  stroke  of  a 
broadsword.  And  then  it  was  that  his  horse  tore  away,  and 
galloped  and  galloped  through  the  glens  and  over  the  hills — 
for  days  and  days  he  was  seen — the  headless  horseman,  in 
full  armor,  galloping  across  impossible  places  at  a  fearful 
speed.  Aye,  and  he  is  seen  now.  He  is  seen  whenever  any 
harm  is  going  to  happen  to  one  of  the  Maclaines  of  Lochbuie. 
And  that  would  indeed  have  beeu  something  to  terrify  you, 


310  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

if  you  had  encountered  Eobhann  a'  cliinn  bhig  the  night  we 
were  ashore  on  Mull." 

"  It  is  to  frighten  children  that  they  are  telling  such 
stories,"  she  said — though  she  herself  seemed  considerably 
impressed. 

"  No,  no,  Barbara,"  Jess  said,  with  the  shrewd  and  pleas- 
ant gray  eyes  smiling.  "That  is  not  why  the  story  is  told. 
The  story  is  told  by  husbands  to  warn  their  wives  not  to  be 
too  miserly  with  them." 

And  with  this  desultory  talk,  varied  by  an  occasional 
glance  at  their  fellow-passengers,  they  called  in  at  Craigenure 
and  left  again,  and  went  onward  and  across  to  Loch  Aline — 
Loch  Aluinn,  the  beautiful  loch  —  and  resumed  their  course 
up  the  Sound  of  Mull,  the  day  all  radiant  around  them.  At 
the  same  time  Jess  could  not  but  be  conscious  that  she  was 
the  third  person  here.  These  two  must  of  necessity  have 
many  things  to  speak  of — their  wedding — the  house  in  Bat- 
tery Terrace — their  future  plans — that  they  would  prefer  to 
talk  over  by  themselves  ;  and  so  she  by-and-by  got  up  and 
began  to  stroll  about  a  little,  looking  at  this  and  that,  until 
at  length,  in  the  course  of  her  apparently  aimless  peregrina- 
tions, she  went  down  the  steps  leading  to  the  main  deck,  and 
there  she  took  her  place  on  a  scat  by  the  gunwale,  just  aft  of 
the  companion  descending  to  the  saloon.  Now  they  were 
free  to  talk  as  they  chose  ;  she  could  not  see  them,  nor  they 
her;  probably  by  this  time  they  had  already  forgotten  her 
existence. 

But  there  was  some  one  else  who  had  observed  her  retreat 
to  this  sheltered  spot.  In  a  little  while  the  purser  came  up 
to  her. 

"  Miss  Jessie,"  said  he,  "  I  am  very  glad  to  have  the  chance 
of  a  word  with  you.  I  think  your  cousin  Barbara  has  got  oil 
her  head." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Ogilvie  ?"  said  Jess,  rather  brid- 
ling up. 

"  Well,  she  came  down  to  the  quay  the  other  day,"  he  went, 
on,  bluntly  enough,  "and  she  was  as  insulting  as  she  could 
be  —  aloud  —  so  that,  there  was  no  mistake  but  that  1  should 
hear.  And  wh.it  I  say  is,  she'd  better  keep  a  quiet  tongue. 
1    do    not,  want    to    make  miseliief  ;    but  I  will  not   suffer  that 


IN    THE     SOUND     OF     MULL  311 

kind  of  thing  from  any  young  madam,  I  do  not  care  who  she 
is.  And  that  is  what  I  say  :  your  cousin  had  better  keep  a 
quiet  tongue.  I  have  a  piece  of  paper  in  my  pocket  at  this 
moment;  it  was  lucky  I  did  not  tear  it  up  and  throw  it  away. 
But  there  was  a  bit  of  a  tussle  between  Henderson  and  me  ; 
and  I  did  not  know  what  might  come  of  it ;  and  I  thought  I 
might  as  well  keep  this  scrap  of  writing."  He  brought  out 
a  leathern  pocket-book.  "  I  am  not  vindictive,"  he  proceeded ; 
"  but  I  will  not  have  insolence  from  anybody.  And  I  wonder 
what  Henderson  would  say  if  he  saw  this  ?" 

He  extracted  from  the  pocket-book  a  folded  piece  of  paper, 
and  opened  iL,  and  handed  it  to  her.  She  recognized  Bar- 
bara's handwriting  readily  enough — "  Will  you  meet  me  to- 
night at  nine  o'clock,  at  the  small  gate  under  the  Castle  Hill  ? 
I  have  something  of  importance  to  say  to  you — Barbara" 

"  Do  you  see  what  that  means  ?"  he  said.  "  I  can  hear 
her  talking  and  boasting  about  a  house  in  Battery  Terrace, 
whenever  I  chance  to  pass  by ;  but  she  does  not  know  that  I 
have  that  little  message  in  my  pocket.  And  of  course  I 
did  not  go;  I  did  not  even  answer  her  ;  I'm  for  a  quiet  life; 
I  refuse  to  be  dragged  into  trouble  to  please  her  or  anybody 
else." 

For  a  moment  or  two  Jess  was  silent,  as  she  stared  blankly 
at  the  words  before  her,  and  her  fingers  were  slightly  trem- 
bling ;  she  began  to  understand  certain  matters  that  had  of 
late  been  strange  to  her. 

"  But  you  told  me — you  did  not  wish  to  make  mischief  ?" 
she  said,  slowly. 

"  No,"  he  replied,  with  a  certain  hesitation.  "  I  do  not 
particularly  want  to  make  mischief.     At  the  same  time — " 

Quick  as  thought  she  tore  the  paper  twice  across  and 
pitched  the  fragments  over  the  side  ;  they  floated  away  on 
the  seething  foam  in  the  wake  of  the  vessel.  And  almost  as 
white  as  that  foam  were  her  firm-set  lips. 

He  looked  mortified  only  for  a  second. 

"  I  suppose  you  think  you've  done  your  cousin  a  very 
good  turn  ?"  he  said,  with  an  appearance  of  equanimity. 
"Perhaps  so.  But  if  the  writing  has  been  destroyed,  the 
facts  remain.  And  I  tell  you  the  young  madam  had  better 
take  care." 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

A     PUBLIC      SACRIFICE 

It  was  on  one  of  these  afternoons,  as  Allan  Henderson  and 
Barbara  were  returning  homeward  by  the  shores  of  the  soli- 
tary and  beautiful  Loch  Sleochan,  that  they  beheld  a  marvel- 
lous apparition  steal  slowly  into  the  still  landscape.  Far 
away,  beyond  the  glassy  waters  of  the  lake,  far  away  beyond 
the  swampy  morass  where  the  curlews  were  calling,  down  the 
lonely  moorland  road  came  a  long,  undulatory,  straggling  as- 
semblage, dark  in  hue  as  contrasted  with  the  surrounding 
country,  yet  showing  tags  and  dots  of  color  here  and  there. 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Barbara,  with  her  eyes  staring. 

"  Terrible  as  an  army  with  banners,"  said  the  school-master. 
"It  is  a  revolution,  Barbara.  No,  it  is  a  resurrection — of  all 
the  hosts  slain  in  the  time  of  Eobhann  a'  chinn  bhiff — " 

He  paused.  Surely  there  was  some  faint  and  measured 
throb  borne  to  them  on  the  listening  air! — and  was  (here  not 
a  glint  of  sunlit  brass  at  the  head  of  the  long  and  serpentine 
procession  ?     The  martial  music  became  more  audible. 

"  Whoever  they  are,  friends  or  foes,  wc  must  meet  them, 
Barbara,"  said  the  school-master. 

But  that  was  precisely  what  did  not,  happen.  For  at  this 
point  the  road  wound  round  one  or  two  promontories  jutting 
<uit  into  the  mirrorlike  lake,  so  that  they  lost  sight  of  that 
distant  concourse  of  folk;  and  when  in  process  of  time  they 
again  came  in  view  of  the  head  of  the  loch,  there  was  not  a 
human  being  anywhere  visible.  It  looked  as  if  the  earth  had 
suddenly  opened  and  swallowed  them  up, 

"  Did  I  not  tell  you  they  were  ghosts?"  said  Allan. 

"They  have   gone  into  the  grounds  of   Inveruran    House," 

retorted  Barbara.     "  I  can  hear  the  hand  still  playing." 
Well, when  these  two  arrived  at:  the  lodge-gate, Allan  made 

bold    t<>   ask    the    woman    in    charge    what,   was   meant    l>v  this 


A    PUBLIC     SACRIFICE  313 

portentous  invasion  of  so  secluded  a  neighborhood  ;  and  she 
answered  him  that  the  young  laird  had  invited  the  temperance 
societies  of  Duntroone  to  come  out  and  listen  to  an  address 
and  witness  a  ceremony  ;  and  that  a  number  of  towns-people 
had  accompanied  them.  From  the  way  she  hung  back  she 
evidently  expected  that  Allan  and  his  companion  would  also 
pass  in  ;  and  Barbara  was  curious ;  spectacular  displays  of 
any  kind  are  rare  in  that  countryside  ;  so  the  two  new-comers 
accepted  the  mute  invitation,  and  entered.  As  it  chanced, 
they  were  well  repaid. 

For  when  they  had  reached  the  end  of  the  winding  avenue, 
and  emerged  into  the  open,  a  remarkable  scene  presented  it- 
self. On  the  steps  in  front  of  the  open  hall  door  stood  four 
persons :  a  tall,  elderly  lady  dressed  in  deep  mourning,  two 
younger  ladies  in  more  cheerful  attire,  and  an  oldish-looking 
young  man  of  about  eight-and-twenty,  with  clean-shaven  face 
and  rather  tired  eyes.  At  the  foot  of  the  wide  steps,  on  the 
carriage  drive,  were  ranged  rows  of  large  vats  and  barrels. 
Then  all  around  stood  the  crowd,  in  a  sort  of  loose  semicircle, 
most  of  the  men  wearing  badges  and  insignia,  conspicuous 
amongst  which  were  the  red  and  white  and  blue  and  white 
sashes  of  the  Rechabites.  When  the  school-master  and  Bar- 
bara drew  near  the  motley  gathering,  about  the  first  person 
they  recognized  was  Long  Lauchie  the  shoemaker;  and  by 
him  they  remained ;  doubtless  he  could  tell  them  as  well  as 
any  one  what  was  going  forward. 

At  first,  indeed,  there  was  nothing  but  an  ordinary  temper- 
ance lecture,  which  the  young  man  with  the  gray,  worn  face 
was  delivering,  if  not  with  eloquence,  at  least  with  a  convinc- 
ing simplicity  and  earnestness.  But  if  these  statements  he 
was  making  were  familiar,  they  were  none  the  less  welcomed 
by  his  audience  with  an  extraordinary  enthusiasm',  cheer  af- 
ter cheer  arose  at  the  end  of  each  telling  sentence ;  and  even 
the  lads  and  boys  who  formed  the  fringe  of  the  throng  con- 
tributed their  reckless  hurrahs.  All  save  Long  Lauchie  seemed 
to  share  in  the  general  excitement.  The  unhappy  Lauchlan 
was  silent  and  depressed  ;  his  eyes  were  lustreless ;  a  melan- 
choly "  of  Cerberus  and  blackest  Midnight  born,"  appeared  to 
have  possession  of  his  soul.  His  gay  sash  was  hardly  in 
keeping  with  this  air  of  profound  despondency. 
14 


314  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

But  it  was  now  that  young  Murray  of  Inveruran  proceeded 
to  explain  the  chief  reason  why  he  had  asked  these  good  folk 
to  assemble.  He  would  not,  he  said,  utter  a  single  word 
against  those  who  had  gone  before  hirn ;  other  times  had 
other  manners;  and  there  was  no  doubt  that  our  forefathers 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  drinking  more  than  was  good  for 
them.  In  these  present  days  the  national  conscience  had  be- 
come awakened ;  serious  attention  had  been  called  to  the 
Avide-spread  misery  and  ruin  resulting  from  the  use  of  alcohol; 
and  man's  duty  to  his  fellow-man  had  become  part  of  the  ac- 
cepted moral  law.  Long  ago,  he  went  on,  he  had  resolved 
that  when  in  the  course  of  nature  he  came  to  succeed  to  the 
Inveruran  estate,  one  of  his  first  acts  would  be  to  see  that 
every  butt  and  bin  of  wine,  every  cask  of  ale  and  spirits, 
found  in  the  cellar  should  be  destroyed ;  and  if  circumstances 
had  detained  him  in  foreign  parts  during  the  last  few  years, 
and  delayed  the  execution  of  this  project,  the  time  had  at 
length  arrived.  It  was  not,  he  said,  a  trifling  sacrifice.  Large 
sums  could  have  been  obtained  for  the  various  wines  that,  for 
convenience'  sake,  had  now  been  decanted  and  emptied  into 
the  vats  before  them.  There  were  ports,  sherries,  madeiras 
of  almost  incredible  age ;  there  were  burgundies,  clarets, 
Rhine  wines  of  inestimable  quality  ;  there  were  brandies  and 
whiskeys  that  had  been  handed  down  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration,  and  carefully  tended  and  replenished.  But  no  pe- 
cuniary inducement  could  tempt  him  to  the  dissemination  of 
poison.     It  must  be  destroyed  ! 

Mire  there  was  an  indescribable  commotion  throughout  the 
crowd;  the  yelling  and  cheering  became  tumultuous;  the 
small  boys  threw  their  caps  in  the  air,  with  more  wild  hurrahs. 
Long  Lauehic  sighed  heavily. 

It  had  been  suggested  to  him,  the  young  laird  proceeded, 

that  he  might  have  sent  these  wines  and  spirits  to  the  great 
hospitals  in  the  south.  Hut,  medical  men  did  not  seem  to 
agree  as  to  the  efficacy  of  alcohol  in  cases  of  illness,*  and 
even  if  it  could  he  proved  that  here  and  there  some  slight  ad- 
vantage might  accrue,  the  counterbalancing  risk  of  sowing 
the  seeds  of  fatal  habits  was  of  far  greater  import.  No;  he 
would  have  no  half-measures;  he  would  carry  his  principles 
into  practice;    there   was    nothing    for   it,   hut   the  utter   exler- 


A    PUBLIC    SACRIFICE  315 

mination,  so  far  as  lay  in  one's  power,  of  those  pernicious 
fluids  that  were  wrecking  the  body  and  soul  of  our  fellow- 
creatures. 

«  John !" 

There  was  a  little  old  man  standing  by,  a  little  old  man  with 
short  side-whiskers,  who  held  a  hammer  in  his  hand. 

"  Perhaps,"  said  the  young  laird,  with  a  dry  smile  coming 
over  his  prematurely  desiccated  face — "  perhaps  it  may  inter- 
est you,  gentlemen,  to  know  that  the* first  cask  to  be  opened 
contains  between  twenty  and  thirty  dozen  of  madeira  that 
made  several  long  voyages  in  my  great-grandfather's  time. 
It  has  come  to  the  end  of  its  travels  at  last." 

He  signed  with  his  finger  to  the  little  old  man,  who  in  a 
nervous  and  tremulous  fashion  went  along  to  the  farthest  vat. 
There,  after  some  tugging  and  hammering,  the  bung  was  ex- 
tracted, and  at  once  there  gushed  forth  a  stream  of  clear 
amber  fluid.  A  hoarse  roar  of  rejoicing  arose  from  the  crowd. 
"  Hurrah  ! — hurrah  !"  shouted  the  small  boys.  And  Lauchlan 
Maclntyre,  when  he  observed  the  turbid  rivulet  come  along 
the  channel  for  draining  the  carriage  drive — so  close  under 
their  feet  that  Barbara  had  to  step  on  to  the  lawn  to  save  her 
skirts — Lauchlan  regarded  it  with  an  air  of  still  deeper  dejec- 
tion, and  sighed  more  heavily  than  before. 

"  I  admire  that  young  man,"  said  the  school-master.  "  It 
may  be  idiotcy — but  there's  earnestness  at  the  back  of  it. 
And  he's  a  weakly-looking  creature  too." 

Barrel  after  barrel  followed — red  streams,  golden  streams, 
white  streams,  commingling  and  rushing  away  down  the  slop- 
ing drive ;  while  the  din  and  clamor  of  the  exultant  Rechab- 
ites  filled  the  quiet  evening  air. 

"  Poor  old  Sandy  Livingstone  !"  said  the  school-master, 
absently.  "  There's  now  one  water  the  less  for  him  to  poach. 
This  stuff  will  have  killed  every  sea-trout  in  the  Uran  burn." 

"  It  is  a  sin  and  a  shame !"  said  Barbara,  in  sharper  tones. 
"  There  are  many  poor  people  who  might  have  had  the  benefit, 
in  the  cold  of  the  winter." 

"What,  what? — you  must  not  talk  like  that,  Barbara!" 
her  companion  remonstrated.  "  You  have  been  greatly  privi- 
leged. You  have  witnessed  a  sacred  rite.  You  have  beheld 
a  libation  poured  out  in  honor  of  one  of  the  new  gods ;  and 


316  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

who  knows  but  that  the  new  god  may  be  well  worthy  of  wor- 
ship? Anyhow,  the  worship  itself  is  the  valuable  thing; 
think  with  what  a  serene  conscience  that  young  man  will  fall 
asleep  to-night !" 

"  Aye,  the  conscience,"  murmured  Lauchlan,  from  the 
depths  of  his  woe.  "  You  may  well  say  that — you  may  well 
say  that.  It's  the  conscience  that  has  to  be  obeyed — though 
the  flesh  cries  out  in  its  wakeness." 

And  at  length  the  work  of  destruction  was  complete ;  there 
remained  nothing  but  the  empty  tuns  and  the  purple  and 
brown  stains  on  the  gravel.  Then  the  hero  of  the  hour  thanked 
the  assemblage  for  having  responded  to  his  invitation ;  they 
gave  him  three  cheers,  and  one  cheer  more  ;  the  band  took  up 
position;  the  ranks  were  reformed;  and  to  the  stirring  strains 
of  "  Neil  Gow's  Farewell  to  Whiskey  "  the  whole  concourse, 
small  boys  and  all,  set  out  again  for  Duntroonc.  There  was 
no  very  strict  order  kept  on  this  line  of  march ;  stragglers 
from  the  crowd  joined  in  the  procession  so  as  to  chat  with 
their  friends;  and  thus  it  was  that  Lauchie  Maclntyre  could 
still  have  with  him  the  two  young  people  whose  society,  in  his 
present  dolorous  state,  had  proved  something  of  a  solace  to 
him. 

"  I'm  afraid,"  .said  Allan — in  an  interval  of  peace  allowed 
them  by  the  band — "  I'm  afraid  you're  not  looking  so  well, 
Lauchlan." 

"No,  lam  DOl  well  at  alii,"  replied  Lauchlan,  with  another 
heavy  sigh.  "  I  have  been  eating  nothing,  or  next  to  nothing, 
for  some  time  back.  I'm  not  fit  to  be  here  the  day — but  it 
was  a  great  occasion — for  giving  testimony — " 

The  band  broke  in  upon  them  with  "Johnny  Cope" — a  fine 
inarching  tunc  When  quiet  had  been  restored  Lauchlan 
turned  to  the  oilier  and  younger  of  his  companions. 

"I  was  hearing  of  the  wedding,  Miss  Barbara,"  lie  said. 
"  And  there's  a  little  present  I  have  waiting  for  you — will  you 
come  into  the  house,  and  take  it  home  with  you?" 

"  Indeed,  I  am  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Maclntyre,"  responded 
Barbara,  with  glad  assent.  Allan  looked  a  little  disconcerted: 
it  was  scarcely  for  one  in  Long  Lauchie's  circumstances  to  be 
baying  wedding-presents.  Hut  the  school-master  did  not  at 
the   moment    put    in    an    objection;    lie,   was   unwilling  to   rob 


A    PUBLIC    SACRIFICE  3.17 

Barbara  of  any  little  pleasure  ;  and  perhaps,  after  all,  the  gift 
might  not  be  of  much  value. 

So  when  they  had  got  back  to  Duntroone,  the  three  of  them 
made  for  the  shoemaker's  humble  dwelling,  and  ascended  to 
the  room  on  the  first  floor.  It  was  a  cheerless-looking  place ; 
and  perhaps  it  was  the  doleful  aspect  of  it,  or  perhaps  it  was 
the  fatigue  of  the  march,  that  seemed  to  overcome  Lauchlan  : 
with  a  hopeless  groan  he  sank  down  upon  a  wooden  chair. 
And  then  again  he  raised  his  head,  and  began  to  look  round 
the  apartment,  warily  and  fearfully. 

"  Sometimes,"  he  said,  in  a  sombre  fashion — "  sometimes  I 
am  seeing  things  that  are  not  there." 

Then  he  appeared  to  remember  why  he  had  invited  these 
guests  to  come  in-doors ;  he  got  up  from  the  chair,  and  went 
away,  slowly  and  dejectedly,  to  a  cupboard  in  the  passage. 

"Barbara,"  said  the  school-master,  in  a  quick  undertone, 
"  Lauchlan  Maclntyre  is  far  from  well.  Could  you  not  offer 
to  make  him  some  tea  f ' 

"  I  could  not  offer  to  make  tea  in  another  person's  house," 
she  replied,  not  too  civilly. 

Almost  at  the  same  moment  Lauchlan  returned,  holding  in 
both  hands  (for  they  were  shaking  a  little)  his  wedding-gift. 
It  was  an  old-fashioned  four-tubed  Scandinavian  liqueur-bottle, 
that  originally  had  been  something  rather  fine  ;  but  it  had 
been  debased  by  the  addition  of  a  flaunting  electro-plated 
handle  and  stopper,  and  was  now  apparently  serving  as  a 
whiskey-decanter. 

"It  belonged  to  my  wife,"  said  he,  "and  she  might  come 
back  to  tek  it  aweh." 

"  Oh,  thank  you  indeed !"  said  Barbara,  receiving  the  gift 
with  manifest  gratification. 

"  Barbara — you  cannot !"  interposed  the  school-master,  with 
an  angry  and  impatient  frown.     "  It  is  Mrs.  Maclntyre's  !" 

"  Aye,  that  is  the  reason — that  is  just  the  reason,"  said 
Lauchlan,  as  he  sank  into  the  chair  again.  "  She  might  come 
back.  I  am  not  wishing  for  it  to  be  here.  And  it  is  of  no 
use  to  me  now,"  he  went  on,  mournfully.  "  It  is  of  no  use 
any  more — never  any  more.  It  is  a  sign  of  evil  things  that 
have  been  thrown  aside ;  I  am  not  wishing  to  see  it  again." 

"  Barbara,"  the  school-master  once  more  protested,  "  put 


318  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

that  decanter  back  in  the  cupboard.  It  belongs  to  Mrs.  Mac- 
Intyre." 

"But  if  Mr.  Maclntyre  is  wishing  it  out  of  the  house,"  Bar- 
bara rejoined — and  she  showed  no  disposition  to  part  with  her 
present — "  it  is  for  him  to  decide." 

"  Aye,  aye,  tek  it  aweh,"  said  or  moaned  the  shoemaker,  and 
he  disconsolately  shook  his  head.  "  There  will  be  no  bottles 
of  any  kind  in  this  house,  not  any  more — never  any  more." 

Well,  the  school-master  would  not  interfere  further ;  but  as 
he  and  Barbara  walked  away  home  to  Campbell  Street,  there 
were  black  looks  on  his  face  ;  and  barely  a  word  was  spoken 
between  them.  Barbara  did  not  seem  to  be  much  concerned ; 
she  carried  the  electro-plated  decanter  wrapped  up  in  a  half- 
sheet  of  the  Duntroone  Times ;  she  was  doubtless  looking  for- 
ward to  a  further  contemplation  of  her  treasure.  And  indeed 
Allan,  still  in  one  of  his  dark  moods,  was  disposed  to  leave 
her  to  her  own  devices ;  when  they  reached  the  house,  he 
bade  her  good-bye  curtly,  without  offering  to  accompany  her 
up-stairs  ;  and  when  she  had  gone,  he  forthwith  betook  him- 
self to  the  shop  over  the  way,  where  he  found  Jess  behind  the 
counter. 

At  sight  of  Jess,  the  "dour"  look  on  his  face  softened  con- 
siderably ;  and  it  was  in  a  kind  of  appealing  fashion  that  he 
told  her  all  about  the  shoemaker  and  his  disastrous  plight. 

"Oh,  the  poor  man!"  she  exclaimed.  "If  he  is  as  ill  as 
that,  and  not  having  anything  to  eat,  he  will  get  worse  and 
worse.  TIi is  is  what  I  will  do  now,  Allan  :  I  will  take  along  a 
few  things,  and  sec  if  he  cannot  be  tempted — a  Finnan-haddie 
and  some  strong  tea  would  do  him  good,  I  am  sure — and  then 
he  could  go  to  his  bed.  And  you  must  come  with  me,  to 
compel  him,"  she  added,  laughing  at  him  as  usual.  "It  will 
be  quite  a  relief  to  you  to  have  some  one  to  hector  and  over- 
master; it  must  be  very  dull  for  you  in  the  holidays,  when 
you  have  no  one  to  browbeat  and  threaten." 

"Will  you  do  that,'  Jessie  V%  he  said  —  not  heeding  her 
gibes. 

Her  answer  was  prompt  ami  decisive.  She  Went  into  the 
parlor  to  apprise  her  mother;  she  whipped  on  :i  hat  and  jacket; 
she  got  a  basket  and  put  a  number  of  things  into  it;  and 
presently  these  two  were  on  their  way  to  the  shoemaker's, 


A    PUBLIC    SACRIFICE  319 

though  Jess  had  to  stop  here  and  there  to  make  a  few  pur- 
chases. Then,  when  they  were  in  the  house,  she  directed 
him  to  go  into  the  room  where  the  hapless  Lauchie  was  still 
sitting,  while  she  took  possession  of  the  kitchen.  Lauchlan 
was  not  a  cheerful  companion  ;  and  Allan,  waiting  there,  could 
hear  quite  plainly  what  she  was  about ;  he  could  hear  the 
sticks  being  put  into  the  grate ;  he  could  hear  them  beginning 
to  crackle  in  the  flames  ;  he  could  hear  her  getting  forth  plates 
and  knives  and  forks  from  the  cupboard.  And  not  only  that, 
but  he  could  make  out  that  Jess,  as  she  went  hither  and  thither, 
was  contentedly  and  blithely  singing  to  herself  the  song  of 
the  "  Twa  Bonnie  Maidens  " — 

" '  There  are  twa  bonnie  maidens,  and  three  bonnie  maidens, 
Cani1  over  the  Minch  and  cam'  over  the  main  ; 
Wi'  the  wind  for  the  way,  and  the  cor  He  for  their  harne, 
And  they  are  dearly  welcome  to  Skye  again.'' " 

And  well  he  knew  the  meaning  of  the  enigmatic  refrain — 

" '  Come  along,  come  along,  wV  your  boatie  and  your  song, 
My  ain  bonnie  maidens,  my  twa  bonnie  maidens, 
For  the  night  it  is  dark,  and  the  redcoat  is  gone, 
And  ye  are  dearly  welcome  to  Skye  again.'1 " 

"  She's  a  good  -  hearted  lass,  that,"  said  Allan,  almost  to 
himself. 

"Did  ye  speak?"  asked  Lauchlan— trying  to  rouse  himself 
out  of  this  stupor  of  abject  misery. 

"I  say  this,"  continued  the  school -master,  "that  Jessie 
Maclean  has  taken  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  bringing  you 
these  things,  and  you're  not  going  to  offend  her  by  refusing 
them." 

Refuse  them  ?  He  could  not ! — they  would  have  awakened 
the  pangs  of  hunger  in  the  interior  of  a  caryatid.  For  here 
was  Jess  with  a  snow-white  cloth  for  the  small  table ;  and 
here  were  plates  and  knives  and  forks,  all  bright  and  clean ; 
and  here  was  a  golden -shining  Finnan  haddock,  smoking 
hot  and  well  peppered ;  and  here  was  crisp  brown  toast, 
with  pats  of  fresh  butter;  and  here  were  young  lettuces 
plentifully  besprinkled  with  vinegar.     Then  the  tea,  not  over- 


320  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

sweetened,  was  strong  enough  to  have  galvanized  a  mummy ; 
so  that  gradually,  when  Lauchlan  had  eaten  and  drank  a  little, 
the  apprehensions  of  imminent  death  —  alternating  perhaps 
with  some  vague  longing  for  the  same  —  appeared  to  fade 
away  somewhat  from  his  features. 

"  It  is  a  kind  woman  you  are,"  he  said  to  her,  in  Gaelic, 
"  and  it  is  I  that  am  thankful  to  you  for  coming  here  this 
erening." 

"Then  you  must  go  to  bed  soon,  and  have  a  sound  night's 
rest,"  Jessie  answered  him. 

"Aye,  aye,  just  that,"  he  said,  reverting  to  English,  "  and 
maybe — maybe  I'll  not  be  seeing  them  things  that  arc  not 
there." 

They  left  him  much  comforted  in  body  and  mind ;  and  as 
Allan  accompanied  Jess  back  to  the  shop,  he  was  endeavor- 
ing to  express  his  gratitude  to  her  for  her  charity  towards 
the  unhappy  shoemaker.  But  Jess  did  not  seem  to  think 
much  of  what  she  had  done;  when  she  bade  him  good-bye 
she  returned  to  the  little  parlor  and  to  her  placid  knitting; 
and  as  the  "Twa  Bonnie  Maidens"  had  got  into  her  head, 
she  occasionally  beguiled  herself  with  a  phrase  or  a  stanza: 

" '  There's  a  wind  on  the  tree,  and  a  ship  on  the  sen, 
My  (tin  Ion  nil   maidens,  my  twa  bonnie  maidens; 
Your  cradle  Pll  rock  on  the  lea  of  the  rock, 
And  yd  11  aye  be  welcome  to  Sky<   again.*  " 

"You're  crooning  there  like  a  cushic-doo,"  said  her  mother, 
looking  up  from  her  newspaper.  "  Has  any  one  asked  ye  to 
marry  him  ?" 

"  They're  not  likely  to  do  that,  mother,"  she  answered, 
with  great  contentment.     "And  I'm  well  enough  without." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

BEST    MAN    AND    BRIDEGROOM 

But  Jess  was  mistaken.  There  was  at  least  one  person 
whose  sole  and  consuming  anxiety  at  this  moment  was  to 
ask  her  to  become  his  wife,  if  only  he  could  summon  up  his 
courage  and  also  find  an  opportune  occasion.  The  latter 
point  was  the  councillor's  chief  difficulty.  As  for  courage, 
he  had  resolved  to  discard  the  shadowy  evidence  of  dreams ; 
if  at  times  he  had  found  his  physical  nerve  not  quite  what 
it  might  be,  he  had  on  the  other  hand  a  sufficiency  of  moral 
will ;  he  made  no  doubt  that  when  the  great  crisis  came  he 
would  be  able  to  acquit  himself.  But  how  was  he  to  have 
private  speech  with  Jess,  when  she  was  either  sitting  in  the 
parlor  with  her  mother,  or  walking  out  with  Barbara,  or  con- 
sulting with  Allan  about  the  window  -  hangings  of  his  new 
house  ?  And  then  every  day  the  school  -  master's  wedding 
was  drawing  nearer ;  and  he,  Peter,  was  to  be  best  man — 
with  this  supreme  problem  of  his  life  left  unsolved.  The 
councillor  grew  desperate.  He  determined  that  he  would 
take  the  very  first  chance  that  presented  itself,  no  matter 
how,  when,  or  where,  to  free  himself  from  this  terrible  per- 
plexity. 

And  yet  it  was  not  an  auspicious  chance,  as  it  turned  out. 
One  morning  he  was  walking  along  Campbell  Street,  and  in 
passing  the  tobacconist's  shop  he  glanced  in  and  noticed  that 
Jessie  was  behind  the  counter,  and  that  she  was  standing 
there  alone.  A  sort  of  vertigo  of  bravery  rushed  to  McFad- 
yen's  head  ;  he  would  dare  his  fate  then  and  there.  He  stood 
stock-still  for  only  a  second;  perhaps  it  was  to  collect  him- 
self for  the  plunge  ;  then  he  entered  the  shop.  Jess  received 
him  with  the  kindest  greeting. 

"  Have  you  heard,"  he  said,  after  a  brief  bewildered  pause, 
"  that  I  am  to  be  Allan's  best  man  2" 
14* 


322  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  Oh  yes,"  she  answered,  "  Barbara  was  telling  me  that." 

"  Aye — "  And  here  there  was  another  pause.  He  seemed 
trying  to  utter  something.  "  Aye,"  he  managed  to  say  at 
length,  "  but  I  would  rather  be  going  to  the  wedding  in  an- 
other capacity." 

"  Well,  well,"  said  Jess,  with  a  touch  of  wonder  in  her 
benignant  gray  eyes,  "would  you  like  to  be  the  bridegroom 
yourself?  But  I  am  not  astonished  ;  all  the  young  men  are 
daft  about  Barbara  —  every  one  of  them;  they  cannot  keep 
their  eyes  off  her  when  she  is  in  church — " 

"  No,  no,  I  did  not  mean  that  at  all,"  the  councillor  broke 
in,  hurriedly.  "  Do  ye  not  understand,  Miss  Jessie — it  is  not 
as  anybody's  best  man  I  would  like  to  go  to  the  wedding — 
there's  something  else  possible — " 

"  I  want  two  ounces  of  cut  cavendisli  and  a  clay  pipe," 
said  a  thin,  small  voice,  and  a  little  red-headed  lassie  came 
timidly  forward  and  put  a  silver  coin  on  the  counter. 

Mr.  McFadyen  glared  at  this  youthful  emissary  as  though 
he  could  have  strangled  her ;  but  there  was  nothing  for  it 
but  the  smothering  of  his  wrath ;  he  had  perforce  to  wait  in 
silence  until  she  was  served  and  had  gone  away. 

"  Do  ye  not  understand,  Miss  Jessie  ?"  he  resumed.  "  If 
there  were  two  weddings  on  the  same  day,  would  not  that  be 
better  ?  I  would  rather  go  in  the  capacity  of  bridegroom 
than  as  best  man — that's  what  I'm  driving  at.  If  Allan  and 
me  had  our  weddings -on  the  same  day,  that  would  be  some- 
thing like.  And  how  can  you  speak  of  Barbara?  How  can 
ye  imagine  I  was  ever  thinking  of  Barbara  1  Til  not  deny 
that  she's  an  attractive  kind  of  lass  —  aye,  and  well  set  up  — 
the  young  Queen  of  Shcba  I  was  calling  her  to  Allan  the 
other  day — but,  bless  mc,  there's  finer  qualities  than  a  slim 
waist  and  a  silk  gown — " 

At  this  moment  the  door  was  darkened,  and  no  less  a  per- 
son than  the  provost — a  big,  burly  man,  with  a  frank,  broad 
face  and  a  loud,  honest  voice — looked  in. 

"Good-morning,  Miss  Jessie  |"  said  he. 

"  I  lood  morning,  provost." 

"  Ay,  ye're  there,  friend   McFadyen — I  got  a  glimpse  of 

you;   and   I  was  wanting  to  sec  you,"  the   provost,  continued, 
briskly.     "Have  ye  drawn  out  your  notice  about  the  North 


BEST    MAN    AND    BRIDEGROOM  323 

Pier?— I  would  like  to  have  a  look  at  it  before  ye  submit  it 
to  the  council.  But  we're  all  with  you  ;  there'll  be  no  op- 
position ;  we  must  just  pay  the  £50  to  the  Board  of  Trade, 
and  get  an  examination  ;  and  I'll  be  surprised  if  they  find 
that  the  conditions  of  the  grant  of  the  foreshore  have  been 
complied  with.  Every  one  admits  that  the  state  of  the  North 
Pier  is  a  scandal  and  a  disgrace  to  the  town  ;  there'll  be  no 
opposition  ;  but  I'd  just  like  to  have  a  look  at  the  terms  of 
the  motion — if  ye  do  not  mind,  that  is — " 

Mr.  McFadyen  was  choking  with  rage  and  vexation ;  but 
what  could  he  do  ?  He  could  not  throw  the  provost  into  the 
street,  for  the  provost  was  a  man  of  large  build.  He  could 
not  bring  his  all-important  conversation  with  Jess  to  its  prop- 
er climax  in  presence  of  a  stranger.  And  if  he  remained  boxed 
up  in  this  corner,  to  be  talked  to  about  the  North  Pier,  his 
anger,  that  he  with  the  greatest  difficulty  kept  under  control, 
would  inevitably  break  forth  and  cause  an  amazing  scene. 

"  Come  away,  then — come  away,"  he  said  at  last,  with  con- 
cealed ferocity.  "The  paper  is  in  my  desk;  come  along  to 
the  office  and  I'll  show  it  to  ye  there.  Good-bye,  Miss  Jessie 
— I  hope  I  will  see  you  soon."  And  therewith  the  luckless 
councillor  departed  —  no  doubt  inwardly  cursing  the  North 
Pier  and  the  foreshore  and  everybody  connected  with  both. 

But  fortune  was  more  friendly  towards  him  on  the  evening 
of  this  same  day ;  for  as  he  was  passing  along  the  front  he 
perceived  that  the  school-master,  Jess,  and  Barbara  had  all  of 
them  just  got  into  a  rowing-boat,  bent  on  some  excursion  or 
another.  He  quickened  his  pace,  got  down  upon  the  beach, 
and  hailed  them  before  they  had  gone  any  distance. 

"  Will  ye  ship  another  passenger  ?"  he  cried. 

"  If  ye'll  take  an  oar,"  Allan  called  in  return — and  he  pro- 
ceeded to  back  the  stern  in  and  on  to  the  shingle. 

"  That  will  I !"  said  the  councillor,  blithely,  and  presently 
he  had  got  into  the  boat  and  taken  up  his  post  at  the  bow. 
"  I  would  not  enter  myself  at  a  regatta,"  he  proceeded  ;  "  I'm 
not  for  showing  off ;  but  in  an  ordinary  kind  of  way  I  can 
take  an  oar  with  anybody.  Dod,  some  o'  the  young  fellows  at 
.  the  gymnasium  can  do  most  astounding  tricks  ! — but  what's 
the  use  o'  them  ?  It's  steady  work  that  pays  in  the  end ;  and 
I  could  go  on  like  this  just  the  whole  day.    Did  I  tell  ye  they 


324  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

had  made  me  treasurer?  Aye,  that's  my  proud  title:  Treas- 
urer of  the  Gymnastic  Section  of  the  Young  Men's  Guild. 
It's  -all  very  well  for  lads  at  their  time  of  life  to  twirl  them- 
selves round  wooden  bars ;  but  when  it  comes  to  accounts, 
they  have  to  call  in  age  and  experience.  A  little  longer  stroke, 
Allan  —  slow  and  steady  —  that's  it  —  that's  it  now  —  man,  1 
could  go  on  like  this  for  four-and-twenty  hours." 

Now  oddly  enough  all  of  these  remarks  were  addressed  ex- 
clusively to  the  school-master.  The  moment  of  his  entering 
the  boat  the  quick  eyes  of  the  councillor  had  observed  that 
Jess  Maclean  looked  most  unusually  embarrassed.  It  could 
not  be  that  he  was  unwelcome  ?  Or  had  she  divined  what  he 
had  been  about  to  say  to  her  when  the  burly  provost  put  in 
his  unfortunate  appearance  ?  The  latter  was  the  more  prob- 
able ;  and  so  much  the  better,  Mr.  McFadyen  said  to  himself: 
she  must  have  had  time  to  consider;  she  would  not  be  startled 
when  next  he  had  an  opportunity  of  urging  his  suit. 

But  when  and  how  was  any  such  opportunity  to  be  secured? 
His  companions  seemed  to  have  neither  aim  nor  destination  ; 
there  was  nut  even  ;i  hand-line  in  the  boat;  they  appeared  to 
be  quite  content  with  sailing  out  into  this  world  of  strange 
and  mystic  splendor.  And  they  had  reason  to  be  content. 
For  if  the  sun  had  gone  down  behind  the  deep  rose  -  purple 
hills,  there  was  still  plenty  of  light  and  radiance;  the  after- 
glow was  all  around  them;  the  bay,  and  the  outer  seas  as  well, 
formed  but  one  vast  lake  of  molten  gold;  while  there  was  a 
warmth  of  hue  along  the  hanging  woods  and  the  terraced  gar- 
dens and  houses  they  were  leaving  behind.  Dark  and  clear 
were  the  lofty  ruins  of  the  castle;  dark  and  clear  were  the 
outjutting  roeks  in  shadow;  soft  and  clear  was  the  twilight 
of  the  Maiden  Island  ;  but  out  in  the  open — far  out  on  that 
golden  lake — the  one  or  two  small  boats  that  lay  at  the  tish- 
ing-banks  were  of  the  Lntensest  black.  'These  were  magical 
evenings  for  lovers:  no  wonder  the  councillor  longed  to  be  of 
the  company. 

And  after  all  Mr.  McKadyen  did  find  his  chance;  for  when 
they  had  pulled  away  round  by  <  'amas  Ban,  Allan  proposed 
that  they  should  get  ashore  and  go  for  a  stroll  along  the  level 
sands.  JeS8  win  the  only  one  who  bung  back;  she  said  she 
would    rather  remain   in   the  boat;    then   they  remonstrated; 


BEST    MAN    AND    BRIDEGROOM  325 

and  finally,  not  to  seem  singular,  she  landed  with  them.  And 
almost  immediately  the  four  became  two  and  two ;  it  could 
hardly  be  helped ;  in  view  of  the  imminent  wedding,  every 
one  knew  that  the  school-master  and  Barbara  must  have  many 
things  to  talk  over ;  and  it  was  but  common  civility  to  leave 
them  to  themselves. 

"Jessie,"  said  the  councillor,  when  some  little  space  inter- 
vened between  the  two  couples,  "did  ye  not  understand  what 
I  was  going  to  say  to  ye  when  the  provost  came  in  this 
morning  ?" 

"  Maybe  I  guessed  what  it  was — and  maybe  I  was  sorry  to 
be  guessing,"  answered  Jess,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Ah,  but  you  must  not  say  that !"  the  councillor  went  on, 
anxiously  and  earnestly.  "  I'm  not  an  ill-hearted  man ;  and 
I'm  not  a  spendthrift ;  ye  would  find  a  comfortable  home ; 
and  I've  waited  a  long  time  for  ye,  Jessie.  I  know  there's 
younger  men  than  me ;  and  it's  but  natural  ye  should  think 
of  some  one  younger ;  but  maybe  they  would  not  put  such  a 
value  on  you  as  I  do.  To  me  you're  just  the  one  in  ten  thou- 
sand; the  best  I  ever  knew,  and  the  best  dispositioned;  when 
you  try  to  say  a  spiteful  thing,  there's  aye  a  laugh  in  it,  and 
no  harm  done — " 

"  Oh,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  Jessie,  in  great  distress,  "  you 
must  not  talk  like  that;  and  you  must  not  speak  of  this  any 
more ;  we  can  be  friends,  just  as  we  have  been  for  so  long. 
And  you  must  not  think  I  am  not  sensible  of  your  uncommon 
kindness,  not  only  to  us,  but  to  Allan — your  helping  him  about 
the  classes — and  seeing  about  the  new  house  for  him — " 

"  It  was  for  your  sake,  Jessie,"  he  interposed. 

"  But,"  she  said,  quickly,  "  you  will  not  let  your  relations 
with  Allan  be  altered  now,  whatever  else  happens  ?" 

"  Whether  it  is  to  be  yes  or  no  from  you,  Jessie,"  he  an- 
swered her,  "  I'm  not  going  back  from  anything  I  undertook 
to  do  for  Allan,  you  may  be  sure  of  that.  I'll  stand  by  him, 
if  he  should  want  a  friend — " 

Her  hand  stole  timidly  towards  his,  for  a  second,  in  mute 
token  of  thanks. 

"But,  Jessie,"  he  exclaimed,  though  still  in  an  undertone, 
"  I  cannot  see  why  it  shouldn't  be  yes.  I  have  been  coming 
about  your  house  for  a  long  while,  and  on  the  best  of  terms 


ii-'ti  HIGHLAND     COUSIN'S 

with  you  and  your  mother,  and  I'm  sure   I  wasna  noticing 
there  was  any  one  you  had  fixed  your  fancies  on — " 

"  Oh,  there's  no  one — there's  no  one  !"  said  Jess — and  she 
was  crying  a  little.  "  You  need  not  think  of  that.  It's  just 
that — well,  I  cannot  explain — but,  Mr.  McFadyen,  you  have 
been  so  kind  to  us,  to  all  of  us,  that  I  will  ask  something 
more  of  your  kindness,  and  it  is  to  put  away  that  idea  from 
your  head,  once  and  for  all,  and  let  us  be  the  same  friends 
that  we  have  been  for  so  long  a  time." 

The  councillor  hesitated  for  a  second.     Then  he  said : 

"  I  will  take  your  answer,  Jessie,  for  the  present.  And  I 
will  not  bother  you.  But  I  am  a  patient  man — and  I  have 
seen  strange  things  happen,  through  waiting.  Only,  I  will 
not  bother  you,  until  you  yourself  give  some  sign." 

And  therewith  for  a  few  moments  they  walked  on  in  silence 
until  they  rejoined  their  companions,  who  were  on  the  point 
of  turning  at  the  end  of  the  sands  ;  and  together  the  four  of 
them  strolled  back  to  the  boat;  and  presently  they  had  set 
off  for  home  again,  through  an  enchanted  twilight  —  for 
now  the  golden  moon  had  sailed  into  the  lilac  heavens,  and 
golden  was  the  pathway  of  flame  that  lay  on  the  smooth 
water  all  the  way  over  to  the  black  shores  of  Kerrara.  Clear 
and  lambent  as  the  night  was,  none  of  them  noticed  that 
Jess  had  been  crying. 

And  thus  it  happened  that,  not  as  bridegroom,  but  as  best 
man,  Mr.  McFadyen  beheld  the  wedding-day  approach  ;  and 
indefatigable  and  important  was  he  in  the  discharge  of  Ids 
duties;  and  handsome  indeed  were  the  presents  he  bestowed 
on  the  young  couple.  Then  the  little  widow  would  not  h;i\e 
her  niece  leave  the  house  quite  penniless — she  must  have  her 
modest  dowry;  and  Jess  also  contributed  from  her  slender 
store  —  at  the  same  time  persuading  Barbara  that  plum-col- 
ored velveteen  was  hardly  Suitable  as  a  travelling-dress;  and 
the  shoemaker  showed  his  interest  and  concern  by  calling' 
once  or  twice  to  beg  and  implore  them  not  to  permit  the  use 
of  alcohol  on  the  day  of  the  ceremony.  Amidst  all  this  hus- 
tle of  preparation  a  most  remarkable  piece  of  luck  (as  she 

Considered  it)  fell  in  .less  Maclean's  way.  She  was  not  much 
of  a  reader  of  newspapers;  and  it  was  by  the  merest  acci- 
dent that  her  eye  happened  to  light  on  an  advertisement  of 


BEST     MAN    AND    BRIDEGROOM  327 

the  new  number  of  a  certain  great  quarterly,  giving  the  list  of 
contents ;  and  there  she  saw,  to  her  inexpressible  joy,  that 
the  first  article  was  entitled  "  The  Volkslieder  of  Germany." 
Within  a  couple  of  minutes  she  was  out  of  the  shop  and  on 
her  way  to  the  railway  station. 

"  Can  you  get  me  that,"  she  said,  showing  the  advertise- 
ment to  the  young  man  at  the  book-stall — "  can  you  get  me 
that,  and  make  sure  that  I'm  to  have  it  by  the  day  after  to- 
morrow ?" 

"  I'll  try,"  said  he.    "  I  will  write  at  once." 

"  No,  no,"  said  she.  "  That  will  not  do.  There  must  be  no 
mistake  about  it.  You  must  telegraph ;  and  I  will  pay  you 
for  the  telegram."  She  took  out  her  purse.  "  Surely,  if  you 
telegraph  now  to  Glasgow,  the  magazine  should  be  here  by 
to-morrow  night,  or  the  next  morning  at  the  latest." 

"  Oh  yes ;  there's  little  doubt,"  the  young  man  said. 

"  And  you  will  send  it  along  to  me  the  moment  it  comes  ?" 

He  promised  to  do  so;  and  Jess,  her  face  radiant  with  sat- 
isfaction, hurried  away  back  again.  But  she  did  not  reveal  to 
a  living  soul  what  she  had  discovered  and  what  she  had  done. 

The  wedding  ceremony,  as  is  usual  in  Scotland,  was  to 
take  place  in  the  bride's  home  ;  and  no  doubt  it  would  have 
been  quite  modest  and  unpretentious  but  that  Mr.  McFadyen, 
by  virtue  of  his  office,  overrode  all  their  scruples  and  pro- 
tests, and  insisted  on  having  things  manage  1  well  and  prop- 
erly. He  meant  to  show  Jess  that  he  could  be  as  good  as 
his  word ;  and  naturally  he  was  a  free-handed  kind  of  a  man  ; 
when,  for  example,  there  arose  the  question  of  getting  help 
at  the  breakfast — the  girl  Christina  having  to  attend  over 
the  way  at  the  shop  —  he  promptly  solved  the  difficulty  by 
going  along  to  the  Argyll  Arms  and  engaging  at  his  own 
cost  two  of  Mrs.  McAskill's  waiters.  Then  he  greatly  pleased 
Barbara  by  consenting  to  arrange  for  an  open  carriage  to 
take  them  from  the  house  to  the  railway  station,  whereas 
Allan  had  been  pleading  for  a  closed  cab.  And  when  the 
school-master  was  grumbling  and  growling  against  the  pro- 
posal to  have  speech-making  at  the  breakfast,  Peter  paid  but 
little  attention  ;  speech-making  he  would  have ;  he  was  al- 
ready priming  himself  by  the  study  of  a  little  sixpenny  guide 
to  that  art. 


328  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

At  length  the  fateful  day  arrived ;  and  the  young  Queen  of 
Sheba  was  arrayed  in  all  her  splendor ;  and  the  minister  was 
merciful  as  to  the  length  of  his  address.  Then,  when  the 
simple  rites  were  over,  and  a  decent  interval  had  elapsed, 
Mrs.  McAskill's  waiters  appeared  on  the  scene;  the  table  was 
hauled  into  the  room  again ;  and  presently  there  was  furnished 
forth  a  quite  elegant  little  feast  —  the  presentation  decanters 
and  the  crystal  and  the  tiny  bouquets  of  flowers  making  a 
most  bright  and  cheerful  show  on  the  white  cloth.  The  min- 
ister presided  ;  Mr.  McFadyen  acted  as  "  croupier ;"  and 
when  the  small  company  had  taken  their  scats,  it  was  seen 
that  the  cunning  councillor  had  so  arranged  matters  that  Jess 
had  found  herself  placed  next  to  himself — Jess,  whose  friend- 
ly gray  eyes  were  at  their  kindliest  towards  every  one  present. 
All  went  merry  as  a  marriage-bell,  indeed ;  the  minister  told 
humorous  stories  hoary  with  age  ;  the  councillor  was  so  ex- 
tremely facetious  that  the  nimblest  wit  could  hardly  follow 
him;  healths  and  toasts  were  proposed  and  answered;  and 
Mis.  Maclean,  though  she  was  a  little  overawed  by  the  pres- 
ence of  the  two  waiters,  was  nevertheless  delighted  with  the 
careful  way  in  which  they  handed  round  her  trembling  jellies. 
In  the  midst  of  this  prevailing  and  joyous  tumult  a  tall  and 
melancholy  figure  presented  itself  at  the  door. 

"Aw,  it's  a  sad  sight — a  sad  sight!"  exclaimed  a  mournful 
voice.  "  It's  a  sorrowful  sight  to  see  two  young  lives  begin- 
ning like  this — " 

The  councillor  looked  up  quickly.  lie  was  just  about  to  rise 
to  ask  them  to  drink  the  health  of  Mrs.  Maclean;  ami  he  had 
the  opening  sentences  of  his  speech  ready  and  pat  on  the  tip  of 
his  tongue  ;  so  that  the  interruption  entirely  disconcerted  him. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want?"  he  demanded,  with  his  eyes 
glaring. 

"  It's  my  duty  to  protest,"  said  Long  Lauchic,  regarding 
dismally  the  decanters  and  the  glasses  on  the  table;  "I  was 
thinking  it  would  be  like  this  —  aye,  and  it's  a  pectiful  thing 
to  sec  the  two  young  people  with  ruin  and  destruction  star- 
ing them  in  the  face — " 

"Oh,  go  to  the  mischief!"  cried  the  councillor  —  his  eyes 
now  fairly  glittering  with  rage.  "Here,  you  waiters,  pitch 
that   man  down  the  stair! — fling  him  down  the  stair! — " 


BEST    MAN    AND     BRIDEGROOM  329 

But  Allan  interposed.  He  rose  and  went  to  the  door,  and 
got  hold  of  Lauchlan  by  the  arm,  and  led  him  out. 

"  -My  g'00(i  friend,"  he  said,  "  your  zeal  does  you  every 
credit ;  but  it  lacks  discretion.  There's  no  drunkenness  going 
on  there,  nor  anything  approaching  to  it.  As  for  Barbara 
and  myself,  we  are  next  door  to  teetotalers." 

"Aye,  that's  just  it  —  that's  just  it,"  said  the  shoemaker, 
with  a  deep  sigh.  "  Ye  do  not  understand  your  danger ;  ye 
think  you're  safe  because  of  such  treacherous  guides  as  tem- 
perance and  moderation  ;  ye  do  not  see  that  they  are  leading 
you  to  the  blink  of  the  pit.  It's  an  ahfu'  thing  to  think  of, 
how  near  you  are  to  perdition  and  disgrace — " 

"Tuts,  tuts,  man!"  said  the  school  -  master,  with  angry 
brows.  "  Listen  to  me,  now.  If  you'll  come  in  and  sit  down 
and  have  a  bite  and  a  sup  with  us — water,  if  you  like — you'll  be 
heartily  welcome  ;  but  we  wish  for  none  o'  this  havering — " 

"  Aye,  aye,  just  that,"  responded  Lauchlan,  with  a  lament- 
able shake  of  the  head.  "  But  I'll  not  trouble  ye.  I've  done 
my  duty.  Maybe  you'll  see  your  grievous  mistake  before  the 
destruction  comes  upon  ye.  I'm  hoping  that — yes,  yes,  I'm 
hoping  that  —  for  I  wish  ye  well  —  I  wish  ye  well — "  And 
therewith  he  departed — as  miserable  a  human  being  as  any  in 
Duntrooue ;  but  at  least -he  had  done  what  he  could;  if  the 
young  couple  were  rushing  on  their  doom,  it  was  not  for 
want  of  warning. 

This  brief  interruption  was  soon  forgotten  among  the  gen- 
eral festivities,  which  were,  indeed,  prolonged  until  it  was 
about  time  for  the  young  folk  to  think  of  their  train.  More- 
over, it  had  been  arranged  that  while  the  rest  of  the  company 
should  say  good  good-bye  here  in  the  house,  or  at  farthest  on 
the  pavement  below,  Mr,  McFadyen  and  Jess,  as  the  two 
special  friends,  were  to  drive  in  a  cab  to  the  railway  station, 
to  bid  farewell  there.  When  Jess  and  her  companion  arrived 
on  the  platform,  she  was  carrying  a  small  parcel  wrapped  up 
in  paper. 

There  was  no  time  to  lose ;  the  guard  was  coming  alono-, 
examining  the  tickets.  Barbara  got  into  the  compartment, 
and  began  assorting  her  travelling  paraphernalia. 

"Allan,"  said  Jess,  shyly,  "I  could  not  get  you  any  wed- 
ding-present that  I  thought  you  would  like — " 


330  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  What's  that,  Jessie?"  lie  made  answer,  in  accents  of  re- 
proach. "  When  your  kindness  of  these  past  weeks  has  been 
one  continual  wedding-present !" 

"  But  I  have  brought  you  a  little  thing  here,"  she  proceeded, 
"  that  maybe  will  please  you — and  surprise  you — if  you  have 
been  too  busy  lately  to  notice  much  in  the  newspapers — " 

She  undid  the  packet  that  she  carried,  and  handed  to  him 
the  new  number  of  the  quarterly  that  had  been  telegraphed 
for  from  Glasgow.  He  took  it  from  her  —  and  the  next  mo- 
ment he  gave  a  sudden  little  start  of  astonishment. 

"God  bless  me,"  he  exclaimed,  in  a  boyish  rapture  of  de- 
light, "they've  given  me  the  first  place  !" 

And  he  would  turn  over  the  pages — or,  rather,  the  sheaves 
of  pages,  for  the  edges  of  the  review  were  uncut — his  fingers 
holding  the  sheets  open,  his  entranced  eyes  following  this  or 
that  sentence,  this  or  that  paragraph,  as  if  it  were  all  a  marvel 
and  wonder  to  him.  He  forgot  about  the  urgent  guard  ; 
he  forgot  about  the  thanks  due  to  Jessie  for  her  ingenious 
thoughtf ulness ;  he  even  forgot  about  his  impatient,  and  per- 
haps petulant,  bride.  And  then  amongst  them  they  got  him 
bundled  into  the  carriage,  his  treasure  clasped  tightly  under 
his  arm  ;  the  door  was  slammed  to;  there  was  a  shriek  of  a 
whistle,  and  the  train  began  to  move;  finally  came  a  flutter- 
ing of  handkerchiefs  so  long  as  a  certain  window  remained 
visible.     Then  Jess  turned  away. 

"  I'm  going  back  to  the  house  with  you,  Jessie,"  said  the 
councillor.  "You  and  your  mother  will  be  a  wee  thing  dull 
after  so  much  excitement;  and  1  just  mean  to  take  the  privi- 
lege of  an  old  friend  to  intrude  on  you." 


CHAPTER   XXXIX 


FOREBODINGS 


Here  surely  was  an  idyllic  scene  :  a  silvery  lake  stretch- 
ing far  away  to  the  south — the  ruins  of  an  ancient  castle  on 
a  solitary  island — a  fisherman  standing  up  in  a  drifting  boat, 
and  leisurely  sending  his  line  out  and  on  to  the  quiet  ripples 
— his  sole  companion  (for  the  boy  at  the  oars  need  not  be 
counted)  a  beautiful  young  creature  seated  in  the  stern,  whose 
pensive  dark-blue  eyes  had  wandered  off  from  the  book  lying 
idly  in  her  lap.  An  all-pervading  silence  was  in  the  soft  sum- 
mer air  ;  if  a  heron  made  its  heavy  flight  from  one  promon- 
tory to  the  next,  it  was  on  slow-moving  and  noiseless  wings. 

"Come,  now,"  said  the  school-master  to  Barbara,  who  had 
spoken  hardly  a  word  during  the  last  two  hours.  "  You'll  do 
yourself  a  mischief  if  you  go  on  in  that  wild  way,  Barbara. 
Your  high  spirits  will  be  the  death  of  you.  When  you  keep 
up  such  a  rattle  of  laughing  and  joking,  it  is  just  bewildering 
to  the  brain."  Then  of  a  sudden  he  changed  his  tone.  "  But 
really  now — tell  me  the  truth,  Barbara — do  you  really  find  it 
dull  here  ?" 

"  There  is  nothing  to  see,"  she  said. 

"  Gracious  heavens  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  Nothing  to  see  ! 
All  around  you  lies  one  of  the  most  beautiful  lochs  in  Scot- 
land ;  over  there  is  the  Pass  of  Brander  ;  yonder  is  Kilchurn 
Castle  ;  and  above  you  are  the  slopes  and  peaks  of  Ben  Cru- 
achan.  Plenty  of  folks  would  tell  you  that  Loch  Awe  is 
about  as  near  to  fairyland  as  anything  you  could  find  on  the 
face  of  the  earth — " 

"  I  do  not  understand  the  need  of  living  in  a  farm-house," 
she  said,  rather  sulkily,  "  when  we  have  a  better  house  of  our 
own  that  we  could  live  in." 

He  was  so  astonished  that  he  forgot  to  recover  his  line  ; 
the  flies  began  to  sink  in  the  water. 


332  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"Do  you  mean  that?"  said  he.  "Would  you  rather  go 
back  to  Duntroone  now  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  curtly. 

"  Well,"  he  proceeded,  after  a  moment,  "people  may  won- 
der at  our  cutting  short  our  honey-moon  almost  before  it  has 
begun ;  but,  indeed,  it  is  none  of  their  business.  And  there's 
a  great  deal  to  be  done  to  the  house  yet ;  and  I  have  some 
literary  work  I  should  like  to  begin  hammering  at."  He  was 
slowly  reeling  in  his  line  now.  "  Maybe  I  have  not  been 
quite  considerate,  Barbara.  Of  course  you  could  not  be  ex- 
pected to  interest  yourself  in  trout-fishing — " 

"  What  is  the  use  of  catching  fish  that  no  one  thinks  of 
eating?"  she  answered  him. 

He  was  taking  off  the  casting-line  to  wind  it  round  his  cap, 
for  the  better  drying  of  the  flies. 

"  Yes,  there's  always  common-sense  in  what  you  say,  Bar- 
bara— always  common-sense  in  what  you  say.  And  I  should 
have  remembered  that  you  might  tire  of  a  quiet  place  like 
this.  You  like  looking  at  people.  Well,  we'll  pack  up  and 
be  off  the  first  thing  to-morrow  morning.  And  you'll  get  on 
with   the   decking   out  of  the   house  ;  and   I'll   take   to   my 

books." 

And  thus  it  was  that,  to  Jessie's  great  surprise,  when  she 
was  least  expected,  Barbara  walked  into  the  shop. 
"  Have  you  quarrelled  already  ?"  said  .less,  laughing. 

"Oh  no;  but  I  was  wearied  of  sitting  in  a  boat  and  doing 
nothing,"  answered  Barbara.  "And  there  are  a  number  of 
things  wanted  for  the  house  yet — 1  have  a  list  here — will  you 
come  with  me,  Jessie,  and  help  me  to  choose  them?" 

"  If  you  are  going  to  make  your  purchases  in  such  fine 
dot  lies  as  that,  Barbara,"  said  Jess,  regarding  her  cousin's 
showy  attire,  "  they'll  he  charging  you  the  highest  prices 
everywhere." 

"There  is  little  advantage," retorted  Barbara,  with  a  slight 

toss   of   her   head,  "in   having  nice  things  and  putting   them 

awaj  in  a  drawer  instead  of  wearing  them." 

Je   -  was  never  very  anxious  to  have  the  last  word  ;  her  sole 

reply  was  to  go  and  fetch  her  hat  and  jackel  ;  and  together 
the  two  cousins  set,  forth  on  their  expedition. 

Now  all  through  the   furnishing  of  the  house  in  Battery 


FOREBODINGS  333 

Terrace,  Jess  Maclean  had  "been  the  chosen  adviser  of  the 
young  couple  ;  and  lucky  it  was  for  them  that  she  could  spare 
the  time  ;  for  Barbara's  ideas  were  of  a  large  and  liberal 
order;  while  Allan  —  always  shy  in  money  matters  —  was 
simply  unable  to  deny  his  betrothed  anything.  Generally 
speaking,  when  Barbara's  childish  love  of  finery  and  display 
was  like  to  have  led  them  into  serious  extravagance,  some 
compromise  was  effected  more  in  accordance  with  the  school- 
master's limited  means.  But  on  this  particular  morning  Bar- 
bara, now  armed  with  the  authority  of  a  wife,  seemed  to 
know  no  restraint ;  whilst  Jess,  finding  her  remonstrances  un- 
heeded, became  frightened  at  her  own  complicity. 

"  Barbara,"  she  said,  on  coming  out  of  one  of  tbe  shops, 
"  are  you  sure  your  husband  would  like  your  opening  ac- 
counts in  that  way  ?" 

"  It  is  impossible  to  carry  money  in  your  pocket  to  pay  for 
all  these  things,"  responded  Barbara,  at  once. 

"  I  know  there  is  nothing  he  abhors  so  much  as  debt,"  Jess 
ventured  to  say. 

"  Every  one  thinks  that  the  classes  will  be  growing  bigger 
and  bigger,"  Barbara  made  answer. 

"But  they  are  not  meeting  just  now  ;  and  there  is  no  in- 
come from  them — " 

"And  that  is  why  the  people  can  put  the  things  down  in  a 
book ;  and  then,  when  the  classes  meet  again,  they  will  be 
paid." 

"I  hope  at  least  you  will  tell  Allan,"  Jess  once  more  vent- 
ured to  say. 

"  Whether  I  tell  him  or  whether  I  do  not  tell  him  is  of 
little  matter — he  has  tbe  use  of  the  things  I  am  buying  as 
much  as  any  one  else."  And  with  that  Jessie's  protests  were 
for  the  moment  dismissed. 

By  this  time  it  was  nearing  a  quarter  to  one,  and  Barbara 
said  she  would  like  to  go  into  the  railway  station,  to  call  at 
the  book-stall. 

"  The  book-stall !"  repeated  Jess,  with  some  surprise. 

"  I  was  reading,"  her  cousin  explained,  "  that  if  you  wish 
to  make  a  parlor  or  drawing-room  look  homelike  you  should 
put  two  or  three  of  the  illustrated  papers  about,  and  I  may 
as  well  get  them  when  I  am  here." 


334  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

She  got  the  papers,  and  had  them  rolled  up ;  hut  when  she 
came  out  of  the  station  again  she  said, 

"  Now  we  will  go  along  to  the  South  Pier  and  cross  the 
bay  in  the  Aros  Castle.'1'' 

"  It  will  be  quite  as  quick  to  walk  back,"  Jess  pointed  out ; 
"  and  you  are  not  half  through  your  list  yet." 

"But  I  would  rather  cross  over  in  the  steamer,"  she  said, 
impatiently  ;  and  of  course  a  young  bride,  petted  and  spoiled 
by  every  one,  expects  to  have  her  own  way  ;  Jess  smiled  as- 
sent, said  "  Very  well,"  and  accompanied  her — not  knowing 
what  all  this  might  mean. 

She  was  soon  to  learn.  For  no  sooner  had  Barbara  got  on  to 
the  upper  deck  of  the  Aros  Castle  than  she  began  to  give  her- 
self airs  of  ostentation  ;  she  affected  great  gayety  of  spirits ; 
and  whenever  the  purser,  in  the  pursuance  of  his  duties,  hap- 
pened to  pass  by,  she  would  manage  somehow  or  other  to  be 
talking  of  the  house  in  Battery  Terrace. 

"Can  you  see  the  curtains  in  the  windows,  Jessie?"  she 
would  say,  as  if  she  were  oblivious  of  everything  around  her, 
and  all  intent  upon  straining  her  eyes  towards  the  distant  villa. 
"  Maybe  red  is  easier  seen  than  anything  else.  Or  maybe  it 
is  because  Battery  Terrace  is  above  the  smoke  of  the  town 
that  you  can  make  out  things  or  guess  at  them.  1  am  going 
to  have  lace  curtains  up  as  well,  when  I  have  time.  But  the 
red  looks  very  well,  when  you  are  passing  along  the  Ter- 
race." 

Ogilvic  paid  no  heed  to  her.  lie  had  greeted  Jess  Mac- 
lean when  she  came  on  hoard;  Barbara  he  had  ignored  alto- 
gether— he  did  not  even  raise  his  ( iap.  Whether  or  not  he  sur- 
mised that  be  was  being  "talked  at,"  he  looked  sullen  and 
annoyed. 

But  she  forced  him  to  take  notice  of  her.  For  when  they 
bad  crossed  the  hay  and  were  approaching  the  North  Tier,  she 
v  rut    boldly  Up  to  him. 

"  Mow  much  for  my  cousin  and  me  ?"  she  said;  and  she 
produced  her  parse,  and  took  out  from  it  a  sovereign.  In 
doing  so  she  could  hardly  help  displaying  not  only  her  wed- 
ding-ring, but  also  the  keeper-ring  with  its  rosette  of  gar- 
nets. 

"  Oh,  nothing,  nothing,"  he  answered  her — but  his  lace  had 


FOREBODINGS  335 

flushed  red  with  vexation.  For  this  was  an  open  insult.  She 
knew  as  well  as  he  that  there  was  no  recoo-nized  charge  for  a 
mere  passage  from  pier  to  pier  ;  again  and  again  on  former 
occasions  he  had  asked  her  to  accept  the  few  minutes'  sail  as 
a  compliment. 

"  I  wish  to  pay,"  she  said,  coldly,  and  she  offered  him  the 
sovereign. 

Anger  burned  in  his  eyes. 

"  I  have  not  enough  change,"  he  said,  shortly,  and  he  turned 
on  his  heel  and  left  her.  When  the  gangway  was  shoved  on 
board,  Barbara  was  the  first  person  to  go  on  shore,  and  she 
certainly  had  a  proud  and  erect  carriage.  Jess  followed — 
with  some  vague,  half -alarmed  notion  that  in  the  circum- 
stances silence  was  best. 

It  was  about  eight  or  ten  days  thereafter  that  Allan  Hen- 
derson went  down  to  call  on  Mr.  McFadyen.  The  servant- 
maid  who  opened  the  door  told  him  that  her  master  was  in 
the  yard  behind  ;  so  he  passed  through  the  house,  and  found 
himself  in  a  large  open  space,  the  farther  end  of  which  was 
occupied  by  massive  stacks  of  coal,  while  at  the  nearer  end 
appeared  a  smart  little  greenhouse.  But  it  was  the  group  in 
front  of  him  that  caused  Allan's  eyes  to  open  wide  ;  for  here 
was  the  chubby  councillor  standing  in  front  of  a  large  horse 
— a  great,  big,  rawboned  creature,  with  prominent  knees  and 
shaggy  pasterns — while  hanging  by  was  a  long,  loutish  lad  who 
had  the  appearance  of  an  ostler's  apprentice. 

"  It's  a  present,  what  d'ye  think  !"  said  McFadyen  to  his 
visitor,  as  he  contemplated  with  a  curious  expression  of  face 
this  uncouth  quadruped  and  its  rusty  saddle  and  bridle. 
"  Dod,  I  think  I  could  have  done  without  it ;  but,  ye  see, 
Mrs.  Dugald  up  at  the  Rinns  she  declares  that  the  beast  is 
no  manner  o'  use  to  them  now  since  her  husband  died  ;  and 
she  cannot  bear  to  sell  it,  for  it's  an  old  favorite.  Well,  if  I 
have  to  pay  for  its  keep,  I  must  make  some  use  of  the  creat- 
ure ;  and  at  present  I  am  getting  the  stable-lad  here  to  bring 
it  along  for  an  odd  half-hour  nows  and  again,  so  that  I  can 
practise  mounting  and  dismounting.  Man,  it's  grand  exer- 
cise! —  just  famous!  —  and  I  tell  ye  I'll  soon  be  a  dab  at  it. 
See  this  now — " 

He  boldly  advanced  to  the  animal,  and,  without  bothering 


33G  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

about  the  reins,  lie  twisted  a  tuft  of  the  mane  round  the  fin- 
gers and  thumb  of  his  left  hand  ;  then  he  managed,  with  a 
little  difficulty — for  he  was  a  short  man  and  rather  corpulent 
— to  get  his  left  foot  in  the  stirrup  ;  with  a  clutch  at  the 
cantle  and  a  spring  from  his  right  foot  he  rose  in  the  air  ; 
there  was  a  moment  of  dreadful  suspense  ;  and  then,  with 
a  brief  but  frantic  effort,  he  succeeded  in  throwing  his  leg 
over,  while  the  protuberant  part  of  his  person,  coming  in 
contact  with  the  pommel,  prevented  his  pitching  forward  and 
down  the  other  side.  He  was  quite  proud  of  the  perform- 
ance. 

"  Dod,  1  tell  ye  it's  a  grand  exercise  !"  said  he,  sitting 
serene  and  happy  in  the  saddle."  "It's  fifty  times  better  than 
twirling  round  a  wooden  bar.  It's  just  splendid  for  the 
liver  I" 

And  then  he  clambered  down.  And  then  he  sprang  and 
clambered  up  again  ;  and  all  the  while  the  patient  brute  only 
turned  its  head  occasionally  to  see  what  was  going  on — never 
once  did  its  ears  fall  wickedly  back,  never  once  did  its  hind 
heels  lash  out.  Probably  in  its  day  it  had  beheld  many  strange 
things,  the  meaning  of  which  had  never  been  very  clear  to  its 
poor  old  brain. 

But  at  this  point  a  stranger  appeared  on  the  scene,  coming 
out  from  the  house  and  bringing  with  him  a  tripod,  a  box, 
and  a  Mark  cloth.  At  sight  of  him  the  councillor,  even  in 
his  pride  of  place,  seemed  to  be  a  little  uncomfortable — he 
even  Mushed  somewhat. 

"Ye'll  not   he  thinking,"  he  said   to  Allan,  "that  I   want  a 

photograph  to  show  about  and  pretend   I  am  a  great   horse 

man.  No,  no;  hut  what  I  say  is  that  a  man  cannot:  have  any 
idea  of  what,  he  looks  like  on  horschack — it's  impossible  for 
him  to  tell  what  appearance  lie  makes— until  he  has  a,  photo- 
graph  taken.     Then  he  sees.     Maybe  his  figure  does  not  suit 

the  hark  of  a  horse  ;  and  if  that  is  so,  it's  hettcr  he  should 
he  aware  of  it,  and  take  to  slioe-leat  her  again.  So  yr'll  mil, 
mind,  Allan,  my  lad,  waiting  for  a  minute  or  two  longer  ;  I'll 
he  with  you  directly;   it's  a  quiet  heast- — there'll   he  no  troii- 

ble." 

There  was  no  trouble.  The  sober-minded  animal  stood  as 
if  it  wen   of  bronze  ami  set  up  In  a  public  s<jiiare  ;   Mr.  Mck.nl 


FOREBODINGS  337 

yen,  for  all  bis  professions  of  modesty,  maintained  a  lofty  and 
commanding  attitude  ;  the  photographer  got  through  with  his 
work  quickly;  and  then,  as  the  ostler-lad  came  forward  to  the 
horse's  head,  the  councillor  dismounted,  and  ushered  his  visi- 
tor into  the  house. 

"  And  how  are  ye  at  home,  Allan  ?"  he  asked,  cheerfully,  as 
he  threw  open  the  parlor  door. 

"  That's  what  I  have  come  to  speak  to  you  about,"  the 
school-master  made  reply,  "  if  you  can  give  me  a  few  mo- 
ments." 

"  Sit  down  and  light  your  pipe,  then  ;  I  hope  ye've  the  best 
of  news,"  Peter  observed,  as  he  drew  forward  a  chair  and  put 
the  tobacco-canister  on  the  table. 

But  the  school-master  did  not  light  his  pipe.  He  seemed  un- 
usually grave  and  concerned ;  and  his  eyes  were  bent  on  the 
floor.     Presently  he  said  : 

"Maybe  you  could  tell  me  this,  McFadyen.  If  you've  been 
paying  the  premiums  on  a  life-insurance  policy  for  a  number 
of  years,  what  proportion  of  the  paid-up  money  would  the 
company  give  you  back  if  you  offered  to  surrender  the  pol- 
icy ?  Have  you  any  idea  ?  This  is  how  the  thing  stands : 
ten  years  ago  I  took  out  a  policy — no  great  amount  either — 
but  I  thought,  if  anything  happened  to  me,  it  might  make  up 
to  the  old  folk  a  little  of  the  cost  of  my  schooling  and  class- 
es ;  and  I've  sent  in  the  premiums  regularly.  And  now  I've 
been  wondering  how  much  they  would  return  me  if  I  banded 
over  the  policy — " 

"  Man  alive,  what  ye  are  talking  about?"  exclaimed  the  coun- 
cillor, with  open  indignation.  "  You,  in  your  position,  a 
young  man  just  married,  to  be  thinking  of  giving  up  your 
life  policy — aye,  when  you  should  rather  be  thinking  of  doub- 
ling it !  I'm  just  astonished  to  hear  ye  !  And  why  come  to 
me  ?  I'll  tell  ye  the  one  that  has  the  first  right  to  be  con- 
sulted —  I'll  tell  ye  the  one  that  has  the  right  to  forbid  ye — 
and  that  is  your  young  wife.  Ask  her,  and  she'll  soon  stop 
ye  from  any  such  preposterous  madness." 

Allan  did  not  raise  his  eyes  from  the  floor.  He  merely 
said,  in  a  resigned  sort  of  fashion : 

"  It's  on  Barbara's  account  that  I  am  asking.  Of  course  the 
policy  belongs  to  her  now  ;  and  she  would  rather  have  the 
15 


338  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

ready  money — at  least  I  gather  as  much.  Yon  see,"  he  con- 
tinued, and  he  looked  up  with  some  air  of  apology,  "  she  has 
a  fine  courage  of  temperament.  She  is  not  nervously  anxious 
about  the  future.  And  she's  young — she  likes  to  make  much 
of  the  present  hour — " 

McFadyen  appeared  to  be  wholly  dumfounded. 

"It's  madness  —  it's  sheer  madness!"  he  reiterated,  with 
unmistakable  conviction.  "  To  sacrifice  such  a  safeguard 
for  the  trifling  proportion  they  would  return  ye!  And  what 
does  she  want  the  money  for?  Bless  me,  what  does  she 
want  the  money  for?  But  no  —  it's  not  my  business  to 
inquire." 

The  school-master  rose  from  his  chair  and  began  to  pace 
slowly  up  and  down  the  room,  his  hands  behind  his  back,  his 
brow  contracted. 

"  There  are  strange  things  in  human  nature,"  he  said,  in  a 
half-absent  kind  of  way,  "  and  one  has  to  make  allowances. 
And  perhaps  it's  not  so  difficult  to  understand  how  a  girl 
brought  up  as  she  was  at  Knockalanish,  and  coming  to  a 
place  like  Duntroone,  should  have  her  brain  turned  a  little 
bit — for  the  time  being — for  the  time  being,  I  mean.  Dun- 
troone must  have  seemed  a  rich  and  splendid  place  to  her ; 
and  perhaps  it  was  but  natural  she  should  wish  to  dress  with 
the  best  of  them,  and  have  as  fine  a  house  as  others.  She 
is  by  nature  fond  of  pretty  things.  showy  things;  and  it 
is  hard  to  refuse  her,  when  you  see  her  as  proud  of  her 
finery  as  a  child  mighl  he.  I'm  not  complaining.  No.  As 
for  myself,  I  could  willingly  live  on  oatcake  and  water — but — 
hut  I  could  not  ash  her  to  do  that—  1  could  as  soon  think  of 
ashing  her  to  sell  those  hits  of  ornaments  and  trifles  she's  so 
fond  of— " 

"  What  does  it  all  mean,  Allan  ?"  cried  the  older  man,  in 
something  like  consternation.  "What  has  happened?  Are 
ye  not  seeing  your  way  quite  clear  before  ye  }" 

"Tin'  way  char  hefore  me?"  said  Allan,  suddenly  stopping 
short  in  his  nervous  pacings  to  and  fro.  "God  help  us  all,  I 
see  nothing  hut  ruin  staring  us  in  the  face!"  And  then  he 
checked  his  vehemence.  "No,  no;  I  should  not  say  that. 
Maybe  ii  is  onlj  temporary;  her  head  is  turned  a  little  just 
for  the  time  being;  maybe  her  own  good  sense  will  show  her 


FOREBODINGS  339 

that  we  cannot  go  on  as  we  are  living  at  present.  But  it  is  a 
terrible  thing  to  have  to  remonstrate — " 

"And  it  is  a  dangerous  thing  to  come  between  husband 
and  wife,"  said  Mr.  McFadyen,  "  even  with  the  best  inten- 
tioned  of  advice.  But  yet — yet  I'm  not  such  a  coward  as  to 
keep  silent  altogether  ;  and  I  tell  ye,  Allan,  that  to  give  up 
your  life  policy  would  be  most  unjustifiable — would  be  down- 
right wicked.  It's  on  her  account  I  speak.  It  matters  nothing 
to  you — only  that  a  man  does  not  like  to  think  that  his  wife 
will  be  left  penniless  in  the  case  of  anything  happening  to 
him.  And  that's  what  I  maintain — I  maintain  it — that  you've 
no  right  to  sacrifice  such  a  safeguard,  I  don't  care  for  what 
purpose — " 

"  In  any  case,"  said  Allan,  as  he  took  up  his  hat  again, 
"  you  seemed  to  think  the  commutation  would  be  but  a  small 
affair  ?" 

"  That's  my  impression  —  but  small  or  large  is  not  to  the 
point,"  McFadyen  insisted,  as  he  accompanied  his  visitor  to 
the  door ;  and  he  was  still  reiterating  his  emphatic  counsel 
when  Allan,  with  many  thanks,  bade  him  good-bye. 

But  events  were  now  about  to  happen  that  speedily  put  the 
question  of  the  insurance  policy  out  of  the  school-master's 
mind. 


CHAPTER  XL 


It  was  next  day  about  noon  that  Jess,  hearing  some  slight 
noise  in  the  front  shop,  rose  from  her  seat  in  the  parlor  and 
stepped  forward.     She  found  Niall  Gorach  awaiting  her. 

"And  what  do  you  want  now,  you  rascal?"  she  said,  in 
her  usual  light-hearted  fashion.  "You  are  the  fine  one  in- 
deed— promising  to  give  me  a  sight  of  the  white  stag  in  the 
Creannoch  Forest — "  She  paused  for  a  second  ;  there  was 
something  uncanny  about  the  appearance  of  the  half-witted 
youth  ;  his  eyes  seemed  starting  out  of  his  head.  "  What  is 
it,  then  ?     Have  you  seen  a  warlock  ?" 

"It's  the  other  one,"  he  blurted  out  at  last.  "The  black- 
haired  girl — that  was  living  here — " 

"Do  you  mean  my  cousin  Barbara?"  said  Jess. 

"  Aye,  just  that — and — and  they've  tekken  her  away  to  the 
polus-offus." 

"Oh,  what  are  you  havering  about?"  said  Jess,  good- 
humoredly;  she  was  stooping  to  get  some  books  out  of  a 
drawer,  and  not  paying  much  heed  to  him. 

"  As  sure  as  death  —  as  sure  as  death  !"  Niall  eagerly  pro- 
tested,  now  lie  had  found  his  tongue.  "They  were  tekken 
her  down  the  street  —  a  polusman  on  one  side,  and  —  and — 
McLennan's  shopman  on  the  other  —  and  they  were  going  to 
the  polus-offus — " 

Jess  regarded  him  more  seriously. 

"  If  you're  telling  me  a  story,  Til  give  it  to  you  I"  said  she. 
"  Bat  maybe  some  one  has  been  stealing  from  Barbara's  new 

house;  and  I'd  better  go  along  and  see  what  is  the  matter. 
An  \ |nite  certain  now  they  were  going  to  the  police- 
office?" 

••  As  uie  as  death-  I  wass  seeing  them  myself!"  the  lad 
insisted;   ami  therewith  Jess  stepped  into  the  back  parlor, 


IN    PERIL  341 

told  her  mother  that  she  was  going  out  for  a  few  minutes, 
and,  slipping  on  some  slight  articles  of  attire,  she  left  the 
shop. 

Quickly,  but  with  no  great  alarm  in  her  heart,  she  went 
along  the  front  of  the  harbor,  crossed  over  by  the  railway 
garden-plots,  and  approached  the  police-station.  There  was 
no  sign  of  Barbara  anywhere  about.  She  hesitated  for  a  min- 
ute or  two,  looking  up  and  down  ;  but  this  small  thorough- 
fare, lying  somewhat  back  from  the  rest  of  the  houses,  was 
wholly  deserted  ;  and  so  at  length,  overmastering  a  curious 
kind  of  reluctance,  she  forced  herself  to  ascend  the  few 
steps,  and  entered.  She  found  herself  in  a  large,  gaunt,  bare 
apartment,  the  walls  placarded  with  notices  and  regulations, 
a  wide  counter  shutting  out  the  public,  a  desk  behind,  and 
seated  at  the  desk  the  sergeant  in  charge.  He  was  a  little, 
grizzled-haired  man,  with  a  sharp,  observant,  birdlike  eye. 

"  Has  my  cousin  Barbara  been  here  ?"  said  Jess.  "  That's 
Mrs.  Henderson,  the  school-master's  wife — " 

"  Aye ;  and  she's  here  now,"  was  the  laconic  answer. 

"  Here  ?     Where  ?" 

"  In  the  cells." 

"  What  is't  ye  mean  ?"  cried  Jess — but  rather  faintly  ;  and 
her  face  had  grown  suddenly  pale. 

The  officer  glanced  mechanically  towards  the  folio  volume 
lying  open  on  the  desk  beside  him. 

"  She's  charged  wi'  theft,"  said  he. 

"  But — but  it's  a  mistake !"  Jess  exclaimed,  hurriedly. 
"  And — and  you'll  let  her  come  away  with  me  now ;  and  if 
there  has  been  a  mistake,  my  mother  and  me  will  pay  what- 
ever is  wanted.  She's  a  young  lass;  she's  not  used  to  the 
ways  of  a  town ;  and  we  will  have  it  all  put  right  before  her 
husband  can  hear  anything  about  it.  Whei;e  is  she  ?  Can  I 
see  her?  You  will  let  her  come  away  with  me,  and  my 
mother  will  make  sure  that  no  one  is  wronged,  even  if  there 
has  been  a  mistake — " 

The  sergeant,  as  it  chanced,  was  no  ill-conditioned  jack-in- 
office  ;  besides,  he  kneAV  the  Macleans  quite  well  by  sight. 
And  this  young  woman  who  now  addressed  him  had  pleading 
gray  eyes  and  a  soft  and  conciliatory  voice. 

"  You  should  get  an  agent,"  said  he  ;  "  that's  the  first  thing 


342  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

to  be  done.  And  in  the  meantime  you  can  see  your  cousin 
now,  if  you  wish — " 

"  And  she  will  come  away  with  me,"  interposed  Jess, 
quickly,  "  before  any  one  is  told — before  her  husband  can 
hear  anything  about  it  ?" 

There  was  a  shake  of  the  head. 

"  No,  no ;  not  that  way.  The  charge  has  been  made 
against  her.  There'll  have  to  be  the  declaration  diet  as  soon 
as  possible ;  and  both  the  sheriff-substitute  and  the  procu- 
rator-fiscal are  in  the  town ;  there's  no  need  for  delay.  But 
you  should  get  an  agent,  Miss  Maclean ;  that's  the  first 
thing—" 

"  And  Barbara — can  I  see  her  now  ?" 

He  turned  to  a  constable  that  was  standing  by,  and  said  a 
word  or  two  to  him. 

"  If  you  will  follow  this  officer,  he  will  take  you  to  the 
cells,"  he  said  to  Jess — and  thereupon  he  raised  a  portion  of 
the  counter  to  let  her  pass  through. 

It  was  hard  on  Jess  Maclean  that  she  had  had  no  oppor- 
tunity of  preparing  herself  for  this  interview.  All  the  cir- 
cumstances were  a  bewilderment  to  her ;  she  only  knew 
vaguely  that  something  terrible  had  occurred  that  must  at  any 
hazard  be  concealed  from  the  proud  and  severe  school-master; 
Barbara,  poor  lass,  had  got  into  this  incomprehensible  trouble, 
but  surely  there  was  still  a  chance  of  spiriting  her  away  he- 
fore  the  neighbors' tongues  began  to  wag?  And  yet  when 
Jess,  following  the  constable,  stepped  out  into  the  excrcise- 
vanl  of  the  prison,  a  cold  chill  struck  at  her  heart.  It  was  a 
dismal,  deserted-looking  place,  this  cindered  court  open  to  the 
sky  and  enclosed  by  lofty  and  Sombre  walls;  and  again,  when 

she  regarded  the  long,  low,  gray  building  in  front  of  her,  she 
perceived  a  series  of  small,  isolated,  high  windows  barred 
across  with  iron  bars.  She  guessed  thai  Barbara  was  behind 
one  of  thesi — the  poor,  flattering  wild-bird  from  the  distant- 
islands  that  had  come  wandering  hither  to  this  Borry  doom. 

Nevertheless,  Jess  was  in  no  OVer-piteOUS  and  tremulous  mood. 
I'.\  this  time  she  had  Strung  herself  together.  It  was  rescue 
she  was  bent  on — ere  Allan  COUld  hear  of  what  had  hap- 
pened. 

The  oilier  who  led  the  way  rang  a  bell  ;  and  the  door  was 


IN    PEK1L  343 

opened  by  a  big,  burly,  good-natured-looking  man  in  uniform, 
who  proved  to  be  the  warder.  Almost  before  he  was  told 
he  seemed  to  divine  the  mission  on  which  Jess  had  come ; 
and  at  once  he  called  his  wife,  handing  her  his  bunch  of  keys. 
Presently  Jess  found  herself  being  conducted  by  this  woman 
along  a  narrow,  dimly  lit,  stone-paved  passage,  on  one  side  of 
which  were  several  doors,  each  marked  with  a  number,  and 
each  furnished  with  a  small  square  aperture  covered  with  a 
flap,  as  well  as  with  a  still  smaller  eye-hcle  commanding  the 
interior  of  the  cell.  There  was  not  a  sound — not  a  sob  nor  a 
groan — to  tell  which  of  those  silent  and  unknown  cavities 
contained  a  broken  human  life. 

At  length  the  warder's  wife  stopped ;  she  inserted  a  key 
into  a  large  iron  lock  and  undid  the  heavy  bolt ;  and  the  next 
moment  Jess  beheld  in  front  of  her  a  small,  bare,  oblong 
chamber,  at  the  farther  end  of  which,  in  the  dusky  twilight, 
and  seated  on  a  transverse  bench,  was  a  crouching  and  down- 
cast figure,  that  made  no  sign  whatever  even  at  this  abrupt 
interruption. 

"  Barbara !"  she  cried,  and  she  flew  forward,  and  went  down 
on  her  knees,  and  took  her  cousin's  hand  in  hers.  "  What  is 
it  ?  What  has  brought  you  here  ?  What  is  the  mistake 
about  ?  Tell  me — and  we  will  get  it  cleared  up  at  once.  And 
maybe  you  would  rather  I  did  not  send  for  Allan — just  as 
you  like,  Barbara — " 

A  shiver  seemed  to  run  through  the  girl's  frame. 

"  No,  no — not  him — not  him  !"  And  then  she  looked  up 
strangely  and  fearfully.  "  Jess,  what  will  they  do  to  me  ? — 
what  will  they  do  to  me?     Will  Ogilvie  get  to  hear  of  it?" 

"  I  wonder  you  should  think  of  Ogilvie,"  said  Jess,  almost 
indignantly,  "  in  trouble  like  this !  What  concern  has  he 
with  you,  or  with  us?  But  they're  saying  I  should  employ 
an  agent  for  ye — and  maybe  he  will  get  everything  put  right 
before  any  one  knows  of  it.  And  you  have  not  told  me  yet 
what  the  mistake  was  all  about,  Barbara;  how  did  you  come 
here  ?" 

Barbara  was  trembling  from  head  to  foot  now ;  and  her 
head  was  bent  down. 

"  It  was  in  McLennan's  shop,"  she  said,  in  a  low  and  heavily 
breathing  voice.     "  It  was  a  blouse — a  silk  tartan  blouse — 


344  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

and  they  were  saying  I  took  it — l>ut — but  it  fell  from  the 
counter.  And  then  there  was  the  policeman ;  they  brought 
him  in.  What  will  they  do,  Jess  ? — what  will  they  do  to  me  ? 
And  will  Ogilvie  hear  of  it  ?" 

"  Oh,  put  Ogilvie  out  of  your  mind  !"  said  Jess,  as  sharply 
as  she  could  find  it  in  her  heart  to  speak  to  this  hapless  creat- 
ure. "  Have  ye  not  Allan  to  think  of  first  of  all  ?  And  then 
my  mother — what  will  she  be  saying,  that  has  held  up  her 
head  high  enough  all  her  life  long?  But  never  mind,  Bar- 
bara ;  I'm  going  now  to  get  the  agent;  maybe  I'll  no  be  long 
before  I'm  back.  You  see,  they'll  not  let  me  take  you  away 
home  just  at  once  ;  but  the  agent — surely  the  agent  will  man- 
age it — and  nobody  be  any  the  wiser.  So  I'll  not  tell  Allan  ; 
and  I'll  not  tell  your  auntie,  either ;  my  word,  my  word,  if 
she  was  to  hear  of  this,  I'm  thinking  Mr.  McLennan  would  be 
getting  his  kail  through  the  reek,  as  they  say  in  the  south  ! 
So  keep  up  your  heart,  Barbara — keep  up  your  heart,  lass  ! 
and  never  you  think  about  Ogilvie — there's  others  that's 
more  to  be  considered  than  him." 

And  then  and  swiftly  Jess  left  this  dreadful  nightmare  of 
a  place,  and  sped  away  through  the  town,  until  she  came  to 
the  offices  of  Grant  &  Lawrie,  solicitors.  She  was  fortunate 
enough  to  find  the  senior  partner,  who  was  a  friend  of  Mrs. 
Maclean's,  in  his  rooms;  and  forthwith  she  told  her  story. 

"And  will  you  get  her  out  at  once,  Mr.  Grant  J"  said  she, 
gazing  anxiously  and  earnestly  at  this  tall,  thin,  sandy-haired 
man,  whose  quiet,  attentive,  steel-blue  eyes  seemed  to  respond 
so  coldly  to  her  urgent  prayer.  "The  sergeant  at  the  police- 
office  he  was  say  inn"  something  about  the  sheriff  and  the 
fiscal;  but  Barely  there's  no  need  of  that,  when  the  mistake 
can  be  explained  !  The  tartan  blouse  fell  from  the  counter  ; 
and    maybe   they  thought  she  had  laken   it;    but  she  will   tell 

yon  what  really  happened;  and — and  if  there's  anything  to 
my  mother  and  me  we  will  gladly  pay  it."  In  spite  of 
If  some  moisture  gathered  about  her  lashes;  and  she 

covertly  put   up  her  hand   to  remove  the  glistening  drops. 

"  I        only  £8   10*.,  Mr.  Grant,"  she  went  on.      "  I  know  that, 

for  Barbara  was  telling  me  about  the  blouse  a  week  or  two 

ago;  and  my  mother  would  rather  pay  the  money — aye,  many 
times  over  —  than  have  any  disgrace  come  upon  Allan — " 


IN    PERIL  345 

"  There's  no  disgrace  at  all  if  she  can  be  proved  innocent," 
the  lawyer  interposed. 

"  But  there  is — there  is  !"  said  Jess,  passionately.  "  There 
will  be  all  the  people  talking  —  and  think  what  that  would 
be  to  one  that's  as  proud  and  sensitive  as  Allan  Henderson. 
And  the  young  lads  at  the  classes,  they  will  be  speaking 
among  themselves.  Mr.  Grant,  can  you  not  get  her  away  ? 
Never  mind  what  money  it  will  be  ! — " 

The  long,  hard-visaged  lawyer  slowly  rose  from  his  chair. 

"  Just  rest  ye  where  ye  are,  Miss  Jessie,"  said  he,  "  for  a 
few  minutes ;  and  I'll  step  along  and  see  the  fiscal." 

So  Jess  was  left  alone  in  this  musty-smelling  chamber,  with 
its  rows  of  japanned  tin  boxes.  The  solitary  window  looked 
to  the  back ;  and  there  were  the  steep  slopes  behind  Dun- 
troone,  with  their  terraced  gardens  and  an  occasional  walled- 
in  villa.  She  saw  a  summer-house,  too ;  and  a  young  mother 
seated  in  front  of  it,  knitting  ;  while  a  small  boy  of  five  or 
six,  to  whom  she  called  from  time  to  time,  trundled  a  toy 
barrow  up  and  down  the  gravel.  There  were  some  people 
who  seemed  to  have  never  a  care. 

By-and-by  she  heard  a  sound  of  footsteps  on  the  staircase 
without,  and  her  heart  began  to  beat  rapidly ;  but  when  the 
door  was  opened  she  perceived  that  Mr.  Grant  had  returned 
as  he  went,  unaccompanied. 

"  Where  is  she  ?"  Jess  demanded,  breathlessly. 

"  In  about  an  hour's  time,"  responded  the  lawyer,  as  he 
leisurely  resumed  his  seat,  "  or  maybe  less,  she  will  be  taken 
before  the  sheriff,  for  declaration.  I  will  be  there  to  look 
after  her — " 

"  Could  not  I  be  with  her,  too,  Mr.  Grant  ?"  Jess  put  in. 
"  She's  used  to  me  !  She'll  be  terrified  going  before  all  these 
people  by  herself.    Will  you  let  me  go  with  you,  Mr.  Grant?" 

"  Impossible,"  was  the  answer.  "  The  proceedings  are 
private— and  quite  simple.  There  will  be  nobody  present  in 
the  sheriff's  room  but  the  sheriff  himself,  his  clerk,  the  pro- 
curator-fiscal, your  cousin,  myself,  and  a  constable  or  two. 
And  I  will  strongly  advise  her  to  say  nothing  at  all.  She 
will  merely  have  to  sign  the  declaration." 

"  And   she's  not  coming   back  home   now  V    cried  Jess. 
"  When,  then— when  ?" 
15* 


346  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  I  can  apply  for  liberation  on  bail,  if  you  wish  " — Jess 
eagerly  assented — "  and  if  the  fiscal  does  not  oppose,  then 
we  could  find  caution  for  her  to  appear  at  any  diet  she  may 
be  cited  for — " 

"  Caution -money  ?  Yes,  yes,  surely  that!  —  there's  my 
mother — and  Mr.  McFadyen,  that's  ever  been  a  good  friend 
to  us — and  Mr.  Stewart,  of  the  Steam-Packet  Company — " 

"  But  I  am  afraid,  Miss  Jessie,"  the  lawyer  continued,  bend- 
ing grave  eyes  on  her,  "  that  your  desire  to  keep  all  this  hid- 
den from  your  cousin's  husband  will  not  answer.  I  certainly 
think  he  ought  to  be  informed — " 

"  But  if  Barbara  is  let  out  on  bail,"  said  Jess,  in  this  last 
extremity,  "  could  we  not  manage  to  get  everything  settled 
without  its  coming  to  his  ears  at  all?  Why  should  he  be 
told  ?  He  can  do  no  good.  You  will  be  there  to  look  after 
her,  Mr.  Grant — " 

There  was  little  further  time  for  argument;  the  solicitor 
had  to  return  to  attend  to  the  interests  of  his  client.  Nor 
would  Jess  remain  longer  in  this  solitary  room  ;  she  said  she 
would  rather  go  and  wander  about  until  she  could  meet  him 
in  front  of  the  Courtdiouse,  to  learn  the  result  of  his  applica- 
tion for  bail.  And  indeed,  when  she  had  parted  from  him 
outside  the  office,  she  neither  knew  nor  cared  in  which  direc- 
tion her  steps  were  turned.  Blankly  she  gazed  at  the  traffic 
going  on  in  the  harbor;  at  the  steamers  coming  and  going; 
at  the  shifting  glooms  and  splendors  that  filled  the  world. 
For  this  was  one  of  those  rare  days  on  this  windy  and  change- 
able coast — a  day  of  slow  moving  sea-fog ;  and  while  for  a 
lime  the  silent  white  mists  would  come  mysteriously  creeping 
ii])  the  Sound  of  Kenara — obliterating  headland  after  head- 
land, hiding  away  the  boats  in  Ardentrivc  Day,  and  gradually 
Bmurring  and  blotting  out  craft  lying  still  nearer  at  hand,  so 
that  amid  the  prevailing  gloom  stretching  all  around  ope 
waited  to  feel  the  fust  tingling  touch  of  the  rain — none  the 
less  would  the  interfusing  sunlight  begin  stealthily  and  im- 
perceptibly to  declare  itself  again,  the  floating  vapors  would 
roll  themselves  into  softly  rounded  clouds,  until  here  and  there 
a  per  ,,f  calm  blue  sea  would  reveal  itself,  with  the  white 
sails  of  a  schooner  or  cutter  reflected  on  the  perfect  azure 
plain.     It  was  all  like  a  dream,  like  a  vision,  to  Jess;  the 


IN    PERIL  347 

real  thing  she  saw  before  her  eyes  was  a  narrow  cell,  a 
dusky  figure  downcast  and  shuddering,  and  a  small  barred 
window  that  seemed  to  shut  out  hope  as  well  as  the  light  of 
heaven. 

Then,  long  before  the  appointed  time,  her  unconscious  steps 
led  her  along  to  the  Court-house  ;  and  there  she  waited.  The 
first  person  who  came  down  the  wide  stone  stairs  was  Mr. 
Grant  himself. 

"But  where  is  she?"  demanded  Jess,  in  accents  of  surprise 
and  reproach. 

"  She  has  been  taken  back  to  the  cells,"  he  answered  her, 
with  just  the  least  touch  of  embarrassment.  "  The  fact  is, 
there  are  some  peculiar  features  in  the  case ;  and  the  procu- 
rator-fiscal—  well,  he  rather  opposed  the  application  for  bail; 
and  the  sheriff  declined.  But  it's  of  little  consequence,  Miss 
Jessie ;  we  must  just  do  our  best  for  your  cousin,  and  help 
her  to  clear  herself  of  the  charge ;  and  in  the  meantime  you 
cannot  do  better  than  let  her  husband  know — " 

"But — but  what  is  to  happen  next?"  said  Jess,  in  blank 
dismay. 

"  There'll  be  the  trial,"  said  the  lawyer,  not  quite  meeting 
her  eyes.  "  First  of  all  there  will  be  the  Pleading  Diet,  six 
days  hence  ;  and  then  the  trial  by  jury,  nine  days  after 
that—" 

It  seemed  to  Jess  as  if  Barbara  were  being  inexorably 
withdrawn  from  them  ;  as  if  she  had  been  grasped  in  iron 
clutches  ;  as  if  barriers,  far  more  terrible  than  those  across 
the  small  window,  were  being  interposed  between  her  and  her 
friends.  And  now  there  remained  nothing  but  for  Jess  to  go 
away  back  to  the  shop,  to  let  her  mother  understand  what 
this  was  that  had  befallen  them. 

"  Mother,"  she  said,  at  the  door  of  the  parlor  —  and  she 
appeared  to  speak  in  almost  a  light-headed  way  —  "you 
and  I — we  have  had  many  years  together — with  very  little 
trouble.  There's  been  many  with  far  more  trouble  and  suf- 
fering— and  sorry  enough  we  have  been  if  we  could  not  help. 
And  now — now  that  we  may  have  to  take  our  share — like  the 
others  in  the  world — well,  we  must  not  repine  too  much — and 
— and  we  must  face  whatever  is  before  us — " 

The  little  widow  had  risen  from  her  seat ;  it  was  not  like 


348  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

the  gay -hearted  Jess  to  be  talking  in  this  half -hysterical 
fashion. 

"  What  is  it,  Jess  ?" 

Then  Jess  told  her  tale.  But  the  widow,  when  she  had 
heard  the  news,  so  far  from  being  frightened,  was  moved  only 
to  violent  anger  and  indignation. 

"It's  a  conspiracy  —  I  tell  ye,  it's  a  conspiracy  amongst 
them,  Jess,"  she  exclaimed,  "  to  drag  down  our  name  into 
shame  and  disgrace  !  "What  harm  have  we  done  to  any  o' 
them  ?  And  yet  I  can  see  it — first  this  one  and  then  that — it's 
McLennan  now ;  but  how  long  ago  is't  since  it  was  Boyd  the 
jeweller — Boyd  that  came  out  of  his  shop  and  accused  one 
of  my  girls  of  stealing  a  brooch  from  him  ? — I  declare  to  ye 
it's  a  conspiracy  to  bring  disgrace  on  us,  Jess — " 

Nay,  it  was  not  the  widow,  it  was  Jess  herself,  who  now  be- 
trayed a  sudden  alarm. 

"  Mother,  mother,  what  are  you  saying  ?"  she  cried.  "  I 
thought  that  was  all  forgotten — forgotten  by  every  one  but 
me.  And  forgotten  it  must  be  by  you  now  ;  there  must 
be  no  word  of  it ;  do  ye  understand  ?  Do  ye  understand, 
mother?"  she  went  on,  earnestly.  "There  must  be  not  a 
word  of  that  to  any  living  soul.  For  there  may  be  suspicion 
on  every  side  now  ;  and  hunting  up  of  by-gone  things;  you 
would  not  injure  Barbara,  would  you,  mother,  by  speaking 
indiscreetly  ?  We  must  be  watchful  and  careful — and — and 
help  Mr.  Granl  every  way  we  can;  and  maybe  he'll  be  able 
to  get  all  of  us — Allan,  and  Barbara,  and  ourselves — out  of 
this  sore  trouble." 

"Ave,  and  ye  say  that  Allan  has  not  been  told  yet!"  her 
mother  proceeded.     "And  who  is  going  to  tell  him,  then  ?" 

Jess  said  nothing ;  she  turned  her  eyes  towards  the  floor, 
and  sonic  slight  color  suffused  her  check. 

"There's  just  none  but  yourself,  .less,  and  that's  the  truth," 
her  mother  said.  "  YVre  such  fl  wise  kind  of  creature  ;  and 
Allan  will  pay  heed  to  you  when  he  would  not  listen  to  any 
one  of  i  he  rest  of  us.    Will  ye  go  up  to  Battery  Terrace,  .less }" 

"  If  you  like,  mother,"  she  answered,  .after  a  moment's  hesi- 
tation. And  presently  she  had  set  forth  again — her  eyes  still 
downcast — for  she  had  to  consider,  with  some  trembling  appre- 
hension, how  she  was  to  carry  ihis  message  to  the  school-master. 


CHAPTER    XLI 
HUSBAND,   "WIFE,    AND    FRIEND 

When  Jess  went  np  to  Battery  Terrace,  and  asked  if  the 
school-master  were  at  home,  she  was  at  once  shown  into  the 
front  room  ;  but  nevertheless  she  paused  at  the  half-opened 
door ;  for  she  perceived  that  Allan,  up  by  the  window,  was 
pacing  to  and  fro,  apparently  in  great  agitation,  while  he  looked 
from  time  to  time  at  a  letter  he  held  in  his  hand.  Then,  when 
he  became  aware  of  her  presence,  he  said  hurriedly,  and  in 
something  of  a  broken  voice  : 

"  Is't  you,  Jessie?  Aye,  aye,  you're  always  at  hand  to  help 
when  there  is  trouble.  And  you'll  look  after  Barbara — I  cannot 
imagine  where  she  has  got  to — but  you'll  find  her,  and  tell  her 
I  had  to  leave  for  Glasgow  by  the  four-thirty  train.  Read  this 
letter,  Jess — read  it.    Did  you  ever  hear  anything  so  pitiable  ?" 

He  handed  her  the  double  sheet  of  paper,  and  abruptly 
turned  away  towards  the  window.  It  was  strange  to  find  the 
usually  stern  and  proud  school-master  so  bereft  of  self-control. 
Then  her  eyes  followed  the  feeble,  sprawling  caligraphy  that 
rambled  across  the  blue  pages : 

"  Glasgow,  48  Hamerton  Street,  Tuesday  Morning. 
"Dear  Old  Chap, — This  is  my  last  message  to  you.  I'm  done. 
And  yet  it  should  be  a  message  of  congratulation  ;  moriturus  te 
saluto ;  I  heard  from  Tom  Dallas  all  about  your  wedding;  and 
just  about  the  same  time  I  read  your  quarterly  article,  and  I 
called  out  to  yon  'Bravo!'  in  a  fit  of  coughing,  and  drank 
your  health  in  a  table-spoonful  of  doctor's  stuff.  But  did  not 
I  always  say  it,  when  we  were  at  college  together,  that  you  were 
one  of  the  strong  ones,  one  of  the  lucky  ones  ?  and  now  that 
'you've  taen  the  high  road,  and  I've  taen  the  low  road,'  all  I 
can  send  you  as  a  legacy  is  my  share  of  the  grand  things  we 
used  to  talk  about  and  purpose  doing. 


350  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"Last  night,  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  in  the  darkness — 
with  just  a  wee  bit  blob  of  red  light  at  the  tip  of  the  gas-burn- 
er— I  made  these  verses;  and  I  thought  them  fine  ;  for  through 
the  gloom  I  could  see  the  dear  old  island,  and  the  running  seas 
all  round  it,  and  the  white  skies.  Fine  enough,  I  thought  them, 
'  to  mak  a  body  greet,'  almost,  when  you're  lying  alone  in  the 
dark  and  thinking  of  what  you'll  never  see  again  on  this  earth. 
Here  they  are : 

11  In  Colonsay  my  heart  remains! — 
Colonsay,  ah,  Colonsay  ! 
My  weary  lieart  that  went  from  me, 
And  fled  afar  across  the  sea, 
Where  the  ivild  gulls  are  fleeing  free 
By  Colonsay,  ah,   Colonsay! 

"  And  here  am  I  with  many  pains  ; 

Colonsay,  ah,  Colonsay! 
The  heavy  footfalls  in  the  street 
Scarce  heavier  than  my  pulses  beat; 
The  louring  heavens  the  house-tops  meet; 

Colonsay,  ah,  Colonsay  ! 

"  The  people  traffic  in  their  gains  ; 
Colonsay,  ah,  Colonsay  ! 
Dear  God,  this  is  my  only  cry: 
Shoio  me  but  once  before  I  die 
The  long  white  Bands — the  silver  sky — 
Colonsay  ! — loved  Colonsay  ! 

But  now  when  I  look  at  them — as  you  will  be  looking  at  them 
— in  the  cold  and  unsparing  daylight  —  I  can  see  well  enough 
what  they  are:  not  an  atom  of  spunk  in  them — no  more  than 
there  is  left  in  myself — nothing  but  a  sick,  tired,  aimless  cry. 
And  yet  what  I've  been  thinking  is:  If  my  old  chum  Allan 
Henderson  would  only  say  to  himself — 'Mir  triiumt:  icfa  bin 
der  liebe  Gott.'  Do  you  understand,  Allan?  Will  you  take 
me  to  Colonsay  ? — there'*  the  question,  with  its  bold  face  of 
brass.  The  doctor  talks  about  Torquay — he  might  as  well  talk 
about  Terra  del  Kuego  ;  I've  neither  the  means,  nor  the  strength, 
nor  the  desire.  My  old  grandmother,  the  last  of  the  stock,  sin; 
still  pretends  t<>  have  faith  in  drugs  and  nursing;  but,  Tin  far 
past  all  that.  No,  there's  only  one  thing  left  me  to  wish  for  in 
this  world  ;  and  if  you,  my  old  friend,  would  come  through  to 


HUSBAND,   WIFE,   AND     FRIEND  351 

Glasgow,  and  if  you  would  take  me  down  to  Greenock,  and 
carry  me  on  board  the  Dunara  Castle,  and  maybe  you  would  go 
as  far  as  Colonsay  with  me,  and  help  me  out  there,  and  lay  me 
down  on  the  sands,  so  that  for  a  few  minutes  I  could  see  the 
clear  water  again,  and  the  white  clouds,  and  smell  the  peat-reek 
coming  along  from  the  cottages — aye,  just  for  five  minutes — 
then  I  would  lie  down  and  shut  my  eyes,  and  trouble  no  one 
any  more.  You  need  not  think  I  am  any  weight  to  carry  now  ; 
and  you  were  always  the  best  of  us  at  the  gymnasium ;  you 
would  have  nothing  to  lift  along  the  gangway  but  a  rickle  o' 
banes.  Will  you  do  it,  Allan,  lad — for  the  sake  of  old  times — 
and  let  me  shut  my  eyes  in  peace — " 

She  did  not  need  to  read  any  further ;  she  knew  what  had 
been  demanded  of  him ;  she  saw  how  all  the  old  comradeship 
was  calling  upon  him  to  respond  to  this  piteous  cry  of  despair. 

"  Well  indeed  I  am  sorry  for  the  poor  man,"  said  she,  gen- 
tly ;  but  he  broke  in  upon  her  in  an  excited  sort  of  way. 

"They're  often  mistaken — the  doctors  are  continually  mis- 
taken," he  said.  "Consumption  is  especially  deceptive;  I've 
known  most  remarkable  recoveries.  And  who  can  tell — if  I 
could  get  poor  Alec  taken  away  back  to  the  island  air — and 
the  sweet  milk  and  potatoes  —  and  hearing  his  own  tongue 
spoken  around  him — " 

"But  just  now,  Allan,"  said  Jess,  timidly  regarding  him, 
"  your  duty  lies  nearer  at  hand — " 

And  then,  with  her  eyes  anxiously  watching  him,  she  told 
him  in  a  roundabout  way  of  what  had  happened.  At  first  he 
hardly  seemed  to  follow  her,  so  intently  was  his  mind  preoccu- 
pied with  that  pitiful  sick-bed  iu  Glasgow  ;  but  at  length  he  got 
to  understand  that  some  incomprehensible  mistake  had  been 
made,  and  that  Barbara  had  actually  been  arrested,  and  was  now 
locked  up  in  one  of  the  police  cells. 

"Yes,  yes,  it  is  as  you  say,  Jessie,"  he  answered  her.  "I 
cannot  go  to  Glasgow.  We  must  look  after  Barbara  first,  and 
get  her  out  of  this  extraordinary  mishap.  And  will  you  come 
down  to  the  police-station  with  me,  Jessie — you  seem  always  to 
know  what  is  the  best  thing  to  be  done." 

She  assented  at  once ;  he  went  and  fetched  his  cap ;  and  to- 
gether they  left  the  house.     And  even  now  he  said  something 


352  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

about  the  Glasgow  train — showing  that  certain  of  his  thoughts 
were  still  drawn  away  towards  the  dim  sick-room  and  his  dying 
friend.    Then,  by  some  effort  of  will,  he  seemed  to  recall  himself. 

"Tell  me,  Jessie,  what  this  frightful  blunder  is  all  about; 
what  is  it  they  accuse  Barbara  of  stealing?" 

"It's  a  blouse  in  tartan  silk,"  Jess  made  answer;  "and  I  can 
see  very  well  how  the  error  may  have  arisen.  For  Barbara  was 
speaking  to  me  several  times  about  that  blouse ;  she  had  a 
great  fancy  for  it ;  the  Royal  Stewart  it  was,  and  very  pretty 
in  the  silk  ;  and  if  she  had  asked  them  to  show  it  to  her  again, 
and  if  she  was  getting  other  things,  then  what  more  likely  than 
that  it  might  have  been  dragged  away  by  her  sleeve,  and  might 
have  slipped  off  the  counter,  and  fallen  on  the  floor — " 

"  It  is  simply  inconceivable  that  she  should  try  to  steal  it  or 
want  to  steal  it !"  he  exclaimed.  "  Simply  inconceivable  !  Even 
if  it  were  in  her  nature  to  covet  and  steal,  where  could  the  ob- 
ject have  been?  She  has  had  everything  she  could  think  of — 
nothing  grudged  her — why,  it  was  only  yesterday  that  I  was 
asking  Mr.  McFadyen  if  I  could  commute  my  life-insurance 
policy  just  to  leave  her  a  little  more  free  in  her  expenditure. 
She  is  fond  of  finery — we  all  of  us  know  that;  and  fond  of  ap- 
pearances— well,  who  was  ever  blaming  her?  It  always  seemed 
to  me  a  pretty  kind  of  thing  to  see  her  decking  herself  out — 
a  kind  of  childish  vanity  that  was  harmless  enough;  and  there 
was  no  one  checking  her  and  finding  fault  with  her,  so  that  she 
should  take  to  secrecy  or  underhand  ways  to  appease  this  inno- 
cent craving.  Jessie,  it  is  not  believable  !  If  she  had  come  to  me 
I  would  have  bought  the  silk  tartan  blouse  for  her — aye,  even 
if  I  had  to  sell  the  half  <>f  my  books." 

"Poor  girl  I"  said  .less.  "To  think  she'll  have  to  be  in  that 
terrible  place  for  two  whole  weeks  yet  before  she  can  be  proved 
innocent  and  set  free !" 

They   went  down  through  the  town;   and   Jess  Maclean   had 

got  into  a  way  <>f  regarding  the  passers-by  furtively  and  mis- 
piciously — as  if  wondering  whether  they  knew.  It  was  not  like 
Jess;  but  she  seemed  already  to  feel  that  some  black  shadow 
<>f  disgrace  hung  over  her  and  hers,  no  matter  what  the  jury 
rnighl  Bay.  And  she  did  not  talk  much  to  Allan;  these  present 
«  vents  were  too  serious,  too  tragic,  to  admit  of  idle  gossip,  or 
even  of  make-believe  professions  of  assurance  and  confidence. 


HUSBAND,   WIFE,   AND    FRIEND  353 

Jess  and  her  quiet  and  simple  straightforwardness  had  found 
favor  in  the  eyes  of  the  superintendent ;  when  she  and  her  com- 
panion entered  the  police-station  he  at  once  called  a  constable, 
and  bade  him  conduct  the  visitors  through  to  the  cells.  The 
warder's  wife  also  proved  to  be  friendly  ;  as  soon  as  she  had 
gone  along  the  narrow  corridor,  and  turned  back  the  heavy  bolt, 
it  was  clear  that  she  meant  her  espionage  to  be  entirely  per- 
functory; while  Jess,  with  just  as  little  mind  to  be  a  spectator 
of  the  meeting  between  husband  and  wife,  remained  with  her, 
trying  to  frame  an  indifferent  sentence  or  two.  Allan  advanced 
into  the  cell  alone. 

And  yet  there  was  no  wild  scene :  Barbara  did  not  spring  to 
her  feet  and  rush  into  her  husband's  arms,  eager  to  seek  shelter 
there  from  all  the  perils  that  encompassed  her.  Nay,  when  she 
saw  who  this  was,  she  rather  cowered  away  from  him,  until  he 
went  forward,  and  sat  down  by  her,  and  took  her  hand  in  both 
of  his. 

"This  is  a  sad  affair,  Barbara,"  he  said  to  her,  gently,  "but 
we  will  soon  get  you  free,  and  no  great  harm  done.  And  did 
you  not  tell  the  McLennan's  people  they  were  making  a  mistake? 
Or  maybe  it  was  this  way — maybe  you  were  frightened — and 
not  quite  so  quick  with  the  English  as  the  Gaelic — and  very 
likely  they  would  put  a  wrong  construction  on  your  confusion 
and  alarm.  But  I  will  point  all  this  out  to  Mr.  Grant;  you 
were  bewildered  for  the  moment,  no  doubt;  and  not  ready  with 
an  explanation  in  English — " 

She  appeared  hardly  to  listen. 

"Is  Jessie  there?"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice. 

"She  is  just  outside  the  door — with  the  woman  that  has  the 
keys,"  he  answered  her.  "  But  you  can  tell  me  anything  you 
like,  Barbara — they  are  not  hearkening — " 

"  I  want  Jess  to  come  in,"  she  said. 

He  rose  from  the  bench  and  went  to  the  door. 

"Jessie,"  he  said,  "  will  you  go  to  her?  She  wants  you. 
And  you  know  better  than  I  what  to  say." 

For  a  second  Jess  Maclean  seemed  to  hesitate;  it  was  like 
an  intrusion  between  husband  and  wife ;  but  the  next  mo- 
ment she  had  stepped  into  the  cell,  while  Allan  shyly  lingered 
without. 

"  Now  you'll  be  of  better  heart,  Barbara !"  said  she,  cheer- 


354  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

fully.  "  You'll  be  of  better  heart  now,  with  your  husband 
come  to  stand  by  you." 

"  lie  was  not  so  angry  as  I  expected,"  the  girl  responded, 
without  raising  her  eyes. 

"  Angry  ?  Who  thought  he  would  be  angry  ?  Who  gave 
him  the  right,  to  be  angry?  That  is  a  fine  thing  to  think  of! 
Are  we  angry  with  any  one  that  has  a  slate  fall  on  him  from  a 
roof,  or  that  is  knocked  down  by  a  runaway  horse?  Angry 
because  of  an  accident  J  It  is  hardly  a  time  to  be  angry  !  No ; 
but  I  am  sure  of  this,  that  he  is  very,  very  sorry,  as  we  all  are ; 
and  every  one  of  us  will  be  doing  our  best  to  make  amends  to 
you,  Barbara,  when  once  we  have  got  you  set  free,  and  the 
sooner  that  hour  is  here  the  better !" 

Barbara  remained  silent  for  a  little  while ;  then  she  said,  in 
an  undertone : 

"  Will  the  people  be  coming  into  the  court  when  there  is  the 
trial  ?" 

"  I  suppose  so,"  said  Jess,  doubtfully.  "  I'm  not  sure — I 
will  ask  Mr.  Grant;  but  I  think  any  one  can  come  in  that 
likes." 

"  And  they  will  be  looking  at  me,"  said  Barbara,  with  a  kind 
of  shiver.  "Jessie,  could  you  be  with  me?  Would  they  let 
you  do  that?     Could  you  come  and  sit  with  me?" 

"  If  there's  any  one  to  be  by  your  side,  it  ought  to  be  your 
husband — " 

"  No,  no — you,  Jessie  !"  she  said,  hurriedly.  "  You.  Could 
you  come  here  for  me,  and  go  into  the  court  with  me,  and 
stay  by  me?  I  am  frightened,  Jessie — and  the  people  will  be 
staring  ;  but  if  you  wcie  with  me,  it  might  be  different — a  little 
different  And  did  you  say  any  one  that  liked?  Any  one? 
Mr.  McKadycn,  maybe?" 

"  And  if  lie  did,"  said  Jess,  warmly,  "  be  sure  he  would  come 
as  a  friend  !" 

"Ave,  him  ;  but  there  might  be  others — there  might  be 
others  not  so  friendly ;  others  may  be  glad  to  sec  you  in  such 
a  po  ition."  She  glanced  towards  the  partly -opened  door. 
'•.!■  »,"  she  said,  in  a  whisper,  "do  you  think — Ogilvic — will 
be  among  the  people  in  the  court  ?" 

And  Jess  also  glanced  quickly  towards  the  door;  happily  she 
could  hear  that  Allan  was  talking  to  the  warder's  wife. 


HUSBAND,   WIFE,    AND    FRIEND  .  355 

"  I  wonder  at  you,  Barbara  !"  she  said,  under  her  breath.  "  It 
is  not  of  Ogilvie  you  should  be  thinking-  at  such  a  time !" 

Some  few  minutes  thereafter  Jess  Maclean  and  Allan  left  to- 
gether ;  and  there  was  little  speech  between  these  two — there 
was  none  at  all  on  the  part  of  Jess,  indeed  ;  for  her  latest  inter- 
view with  Mr.  Grant,  the  solicitor,  had  aroused  in  her  certain 
strange  misgivings  that  for  the  present  at  least  she  kept  reso- 
lutely locked  away  in  the  unconfessed  recesses  of  her  mind. 
But  as  they  crossed  over  by  the  railway  station,  there  was  some 
slight  disturbance — one  or  two  laggard  travellers  hurrying  to 
the  ticket-office,  the  half-past  four  train  for  the  South  being 
just  about  to  start. 

"  Poor  Alec  MacNeil !"  said  the  school-master,  in  an  absent 
kind  of  fashion.  "  But  I  will  telegraph  to  him.  And  if  every- 
thing is  going  well  with  Barbara,  then  maybe  after  all  I'll  be 
able  to  run  through  to  Glasgow,  and  see  if  I  cannot  get  him 
taken  away  to  his  beloved  Colonsay." 

And  Jess — whose  first  thought  was  ever  and  always  for  him 
who  was  at  this  moment  her  companion,  and  for  his  lonely  life, 
that  now  seemed  to  be  lonelier  than  it  had  ever  been  before — 
Jess  said,  in  quick  communing  with  herself : 

"  A  good  thing.  For  if  this  matter  goes  ill  with  Barbara — 
if  the  worst  should  come  to  the  worst — it  will  be  some  distrac- 
tion for  Allan  that  from  time  to  time  he  must  needs  keep 
thinking  of  his  distant  friend." 


CHAPTER  XLII 

THE    PLEADING    DIET 

Dark  and  sinister  rumors  and  exaggerations  of  rumors  went 
flying  through  Duntroone  with  regard  to  the  unhappy  young 
woman  now  under  arrest;  and  while  the  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances of  Mrs.  Maclean  indignantly  scouted  these  fatuities,  they 
nevertheless  rather  refrained  from  looking  in  upon  Jess  and  her 
mother;  to  offer  sympathy  in  present  circumstances  might 
prove  to  he  invidious;  on  the  other  hand,  when  the  verdict  of 
acquittal  had  heen  pronounced,  they  could  come  forward  to 
tender  their  congratulations  without  reserve.  The  little  widow 
said  nothing,  hut  she  was  well  aware  of  this  temporary  deser- 
tion; occasionally,  when  she  thought  nobody  was  by,  a  tear 
would  trickle  down  her  cheek;  and  the  small,  well-worn  Bible 
that  she  kept  in  the  back  parlor  now  frequently  took  the  place 
of  the  county  paper.  Once,  when  she  had  been  summoned 
across  the  way,  she  left  the  volume  open  on  the  table ;  and, 
when  she  bad  gone,  Jess  slipped  round  to  see  what  passages 
her  mother  had  been  communing  with.  These  were  the  verses 
that  caught  her  eye:  "  Cast  me  not  off  in  the  time  of  old  age; 
forsake  me  not  when  my  strength  failcth.  .  .  .  For  mine  ene- 
mies speak  against  me ;  and  they  that  lay  wait  for  my  soul  take 
counsel  together,  .  .  .  Saying,  God  hath  forsaken  him  :  perse- 
cute and  take  him  ;  for  there  is  none  to  deliver  him.  .  .  .  O 
God,  be  not  far  from  me;  O  my  God,  make  haste  for  my 
help." 

Not  that  all  her  neighbors  held  aloof.  One  morning  Long 
Lauchlan,  the  shoemaker,  called,  stepped  into  the  parlor,  and, 
unasked,  took  a  scat. 

"I  am  sorry,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  said  he,  in  English,  "for  the 
trouble,  that  has  come  upon  your  niece  Barbara.  Aye,  I  was 
jist  fearing  something  of  the  kind  might,  happen.  For  when 
her  father's  funeral  was  getting  near  to  the  cemetery  at  Knock- 


THE    PLEADING    DIET  357 

alanish,  there  was  a  black  collie  ran  right  across  the  road  in 
front  of  us ;  and  we  couldna  put  down  the  coffin  from  our 
shoulders  to  chase  after  the  dog  and  get  him  killed ;  and  when 
we  came  out  again  we  could  not  see  the  beast  anywhere;  and 
more  than  one  was  saying,  '  Well,  until  that  dog  is  killed  there 
will  be  ill-luck  for  the  family  of  poor  Donald  Maclean.'  That's 
what  they  were  saying;  and  that  is  what  has  come  about.  But 
we  must  jist  do  for  the  best ;  and  it's  me  that's  wishing  to  help  ; 
and  when  the  poor  lass  is  brought  to  the  trial — well,  I  would 
like  to  be  a  witness  to  character." 

"  You,  Lanchie  V 

"  Aye,  me,"  continued  Lauchlan,  detecting  no  surprise  in  the 
widow's  tone.  "And  you  would  be  astonished,  Mrs.  Maclean, 
if  I  was  telling  you  the  proportion  of  Rechabites  there  is  to  the 
people  of  this  countryside.  And  do  you  not  think  that  out  of 
the  fifteen  jurymen  there  will  be  three  or  four  Rechabites? — 
aye,  and  mebbe  the  chancellor  of  the  jury  himself?  Then  they 
will  see  me — and  I  hef  been  made  a  Guardian  of  our  Tent — I 
am  an  office-bearer." 

"  I'm  sure  I'm  glad  to  hear  of  anything  that  keeps  you  from 
the  whiskey,  Lauchlan,"  said  the  widow,  absently. 

"Me! — Mrs.  Maclean! — the  whiskey  ?"  ejaculated  Lauchlan, 
sorely  hurt.  "  I  wonder  you  would  say  that !  Mebbe  in  for- 
mer days  I  might  tek  a  glass  when  they  were  hard  at  me  and 
forcin'  me  to  it;  but  now — now — ah  me,  my  good  friend,  I  wish 
I  could  get  ye  to  understand  what  a  perfect  heaven  upon  earth 
the  strict  teetotalism  is  !  It  is  so,  indeed  !  Aw,  but  it's  sweet, 
sweet,  to  rise  in  the  mornin',  and  there's  no  thirst  in  your 
throat,  and  there's  no  fearful  seeckness  in  your  inside,  and 
your  head  as  clear  as  a  bell ;  ye  must  try  it — I'm  sure  ye 
would  be  thanking  me  if  ye'd  only  try  it,  Mrs.  Maclean." 

"  Haud  your  haverings !"  said  Jess,  breaking  in  angrily. 
"  My  mother's  as  temperate  as  any  one  in  Duntroone,  and  far 
more  than  most." 

But  Lauchlan  shook  his  head  in  a  despairing  way. 

"She  doesna  belong  to  the  fold  yet.  There's  ahlways  the 
fear  of  backsliding.  I  hef  myself  seen  a  bottle  standing  on 
that  very  table  now  before  me.  And  at  the  wedding — there 
was  sad  doings  at  the  school-master's  wedding — I  sah  the 
glasses  and  the  bottles  spread  out — fearful,  fearful." 


358  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  We've  a  great  many  things  to  think  of  at  present,  Mr. 
Maclntyre,"  said  Jess,  sharply. 

"  Aye,  jist  that,"  responded  Lauchlan,  with  good-natured  ac- 
quiescence, and  he  rose  from  his  chair.  "  Ye'll  not  forget, 
then,  Mrs.  Maclean,  that  I'll  be  a  witness  to  character,  if  the 
lawyers  want  me.  Ye  see,  I'm  in  an  official  poseetion  now. 
And  there's  sure  to  be  some  Rechabites  on  the  jury — mebbe 
the  chancellor  himself.  Well,  good-bye  to  you ;  and  to  you, 
Miss  Jessie ;  and  I  am  hoping  there  will  be  good-luck  at  the 
trial,  in  spite  of  the  black  dog  that  ran  across  the  funeral  at 
Knockalanish." 

But  the  one  friend  who  at  this  crisis  stood  indefatigably  and 
assiduously  by  them  was  distinctly  the  town-councillor.  Mr. 
McFadyen,  eager,  important,  restless,  buzzed  about  the  little 
parlor,  and  hurried  along  for  consultation  with  Mr.  Grant,  and 
hurried  back ;  and  all  his  talk  was  as  of  one  learned  in  the  law ; 
he  fairly  astounded  the  women  with  his  display  of  legal  knowl- 
edge :  about  the  precognitions  of  the  witnesses — the  warrants 
for  citations — lists  of  articles  labelled  and  to  be  produced — ser- 
vice copies  of  indictments — pleas  admitted  in  bar  of  trial — ob- 
jections to  relevancy  of  the  libel — and  so  forth  ;  and  Mrs.  Mac- 
lean, if  she  did  not  quite,  or  even  half,  understand,  was  at  least 
profoundly  grateful  for  his  intervention  and  championship. 
Jess,  on  the  other  hand,  silent  and  watchful,  began  to  suspect 
that  a  good  part  of  this  brave  magniloquence  was  used  as  a 
cloak  of  concealment,  lie  could  not,  for  example,  be  brought 
to  give  them  precise  details  of  the  story  told  by  McLennan, 
the  draper.  He  would  rather  come  back  to  the  mere  mech- 
anism of  the  trial ;  and  above  all,  he  would  insist  that  neither 
mother  nor  daughter  should  go  to  the  Court-house  on  cither 
of  the  two  days. 

"  What  could  you  do?"  he  said,  addressing  himself  especial- 
ly to  the  widow.  "The  Pleading  Diet  in  particular  is  a  mere 
matter  of  form.  Barbara  will  simply  have  to  say  she  is  Not 
Guilty;  and  then  she  will  be  taken  back  to  the  cells,  to  await 
tie'  real  trial.  There'll  be  no  jury  for  you  to  look  at,  to  see  if 
there  might  he  a  friend  or  two  amongst  them.  And  forbyc 
that,  Mrs.  Maclean,  Vta  sure  ye  would  just  be  shocked  and  dis- 
tressed beyond  measure  at  the  commonplace,  ordinary,  business- 
like character  of  the  whole  proceedings.    You  would  think  the 


THE    PLEADING    DIET  359 

people  so  heartless.  And  so  they  are,  and  necessarily  so  ;  the 
law  is  a  machine  of  cogs  and  wheels  and  levers ;  and  it  turns 
out  this,  or  turns  out  that,  without  caring  a  straw.  Dod,  I  tell 
ye  the  fellows  can  sign  away  a  poor  creature's  life  just  as  if  it 
was  a  barrel  o'  raisins — " 

"  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  the  widow,  "  where  will  they  put  my 
poor  lass?  Where  will  she  be,  when  she  comes  before  all  the 
people  I" 

Mr.  McFadyen  was  silent  for  a  second,  and  his  face  burned 
red ;  none  the  less  he  was  equal  to  the  occasion  ;  he  managed 
to  answer  her  without  mentioning  the  word  "  dock." 

"  Oh,  well,  Mrs.  Maclean,  it's  this  way,"  he  said.  "  She'll  be 
in  what  you  might  call  the  well  of  the  court ;  Mr.  Grant  will 
be  there,  and  the  fiscal,  and  the  sheriff-clerk  at  the  table ;  and 
if  she  is  in  a  kind  of  pew  by  herself,  you  see  that  is  like  the 
jury — they  have  boxes  for  themselves  along  one  side  of  the 
central  square.  It's  the  sheriff  who  is  the  big  man ;  he  is  up 
on  the  platform — " 

"  She'll  not  be  in  a  prison-dress  ?"  asked  the  widow,  with 
troubled  looks. 

At  this  the  councillor  laughed,  strenuously  and  stormily. 

"  Prison-dress  !"  he  said.  "  In  the  eye  of  the  law  she  is  as 
innocent  as  you  or  me!  Prison -dress  indeed!  The  only 
prison-dress  ye're  likely  to  see  about  anywhere  in  Duntroone 
the  now  is  the  over-all  Johnnie  Stevenson  has  for  saving  his 
clothes  up  on  the  links  ;  and  indeed  an  angry  man  at  golf  is 
the  better  of  some  such  covering,  when  he's  striking  and 
smashing  half  the  county  of  Argyll  into  the  air." 

At  length  the  morning  arrived  on  which  Barbara  was  to  ap- 
pear in  court  for  the  first  time ;  and  at  an  early  hour  Jess  stole 
away  up  to  the  house  in  Battery  Terrace.  During  these  past 
few  days  she  had  been  in  the  habit  of  paying  hidden  little 
visits,  especially  at  such  times  as  she  thought  the  school-master 
was  likely  to  be  absent,  so  that  she  could  see  that  things  were 
being  properly  looked  after.  But  on  this  occasion,  when  she 
had  finished  with  the  maid-servant,  she  sent  word  to  Allan  to 
apprise  him  of  her  being  there;  and  as  soon  as  he  had  made 
his  appearance  the  two  of  them  set  out  together,  making  down 
for  the  town.  And  very  speedily  she  discovered  that  her 
companion  was  bitterly  impatient  over  the  law's  delay. 


360  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  What  is  the  object  of  all  this  tomfoolery  ?"  he  demanded. 
"The  prisoner  should  be  allowed  to  plead  'Guilty'  or  'Not 
Guilty  '  when  the  first  declaration  is  made ;  and  the  case 
brought  for  trial  directly — or  with  a  fair  time  for  getting  the 
witnesses  together.  Just  think,  Jessie,  of  these  days  and  days 
going  by ;  and  poor  Alec  MacNeil  in  his  lonely  lodgings,  won- 
dering why  I  do  not  come  for  him.  Of  course,  I  could  not 
tell  him  the  real  reason.  He  would  not  believe  such  a  story. 
Do  you  remember,  Jess? — he  was  accusing  me  of  being  one  of 
the  lucky  ones !  Ah,  well ;  perhaps  some  night  he  may  fall 
asleep  ;  and  when  his  eyes  open,  they  may  find  before  them 
shores  whiter  even  than  the  shores  of  Colonsay — " 

"  Allan,"  said  Jess,  after  a  moment,  "  could  I  not  be  of  some 
use?  Could  I  not  go  through  to  Glasgow  ?  My  mother  knows 
the  captain  of  the  Dunara  Castle  very  well ;  and  if  I  could 
get  your  friend  that  is  so  ill  taken  as  far  as  Greenock,  then  I 
am  sure  he  would  want  for  nothing  in  the  way  of  kindness — " 

"Ah,  no,  no,  Jessie,"  he  said,  hastily.  "That  is  where  I 
would  like  to  be  myself — giving  poor  Alec  a  last  chance;  but 
yOU — you  must  be  here — we  could  not  be  without  you  here ; 
when  Barbara  wants  anything  done  for  her,  it  is  you  that  she 
asks  for.     And  I  do  not  wonder — I  do  not  wonder." 

They  were  now  nearing  the  Court-house;  and  as  Jess 
Maclean's  quick  and  apprehensive  scrutiny  told  her  that  there 
were  certain  idlers  gathered  about  the  entrance,  scorn  and 
black  hatred  burned  in  her  heart,  and  were  only  too  visible  in 
her  eyes  as  well. 

"The  dolts!"  she  said,  between  her  teeth.  "Have  they  no 
work  to  do,  that  they  must  come  to  stare  at  a  poor  creature  in 
distress  !" 

Hut  the  school -master  took  no  heed  of  these  people  —  no 
more  than  if  they  had  been  empty  wheelbarrows  and  pickaxes 
cumbering  the  highway,  lie  Went  by  them  unnoticing;  he 
ascended  the  wide,  hollow-sounding,  stone  steps;  he  entered 
the  lofty,  bare-looking  hall ;  and  took  one  of  the  nearest  scats, 
making  room  for  Je8B  beside  him.  Here,  also,  two  or  three 
spectators  had  assembled;  but  they  were  mostly  strangers; 
for  the  rest,  Lauehlan  the  shoemaker  had  come  along,  in  his 
Siiml.n  clothes;  and  from  one  of  the  farthest  back  benches 
the  elfin  eyes  of  Niall  Gorach  glowered  and  twinkled. 


THE    PLEADING    DIET  361 

At  this  moment  the  well  of  the  court,  the  dock,  the  witness- 
box,  the  jury  boxes,  and  the  raised  platform  on  which  stood 
the  sheriff's  chair  of  office  and  his  desk — all  these  were  as  yet 
empty;  the  business  of  the  day  had  not  begun.  And  it  may 
be  said  that  the  appearance  of  this  provincial  hall  of  justice 
did  credit  to  Duntroone ;  the  pew-like  benches  and  the  wood- 
work generally  were  of  polished  and  shining  pitch-pine;  the 
walls  and  roof  were  bright  and  clean  ;  there  were  tall  and  well- 
proportioned  windows  looking  both  to  the  south  and  west ; 
and  if  most  of  these  windows  were  dimly  blinded  over,  at  least 
one  of  them  gave  a  view  of  the  clear  outer  world — beyond  the 
roofs  of  the  huddled  houses  was  yisible  the  distant  azure  sweep 
of  Ardentrive  Bay,  above  that  again  were  the  sunny  slopes  of 
Kerrara,  and  over  these  the  pale-blue  mountains  of  Mull,  those 
of  them  that  lie  about  Loch  Speliv  and  Loch  Don. 

But  presently  this  one  and  that  of  the  officials  began  to 
come  in,  making  for  their  accustomed  places  by  the  central 
table:  the  sheriff -clerk,  the  procurator -fiscal,  the  agents,  and 
the  like;  while  Peter  McFadyen,  after  a  final  word  with  Mr. 
Grant,  slipped  into  the  pew  next  the  dock,  taking  his  seat  by 
the  side  of  Allan  Henderson.  Jess  was  trembling  a  little. 
She  seemed  to  know  that  the  eyes  of  the  people  behind  her 
were  directed  to  a  certain  door  in  front  of  her — over  by  the 
corner  of  the  hall ;  and  she  also  was  listening  for  footsteps. 
What  the  lawyers  in  the  well  of  the  court  were  doing  mattered 
nothing  to  her.  She  was  half  afraid  to  find  Barbara  appear. 
Would  there  not  be  some  terrible  reproach — some  accusation 
even — in  the  mute  glance  of  the  prisoner?  For  they  had  re- 
ceived this  poor  lass  in  charge,  when  she  was  left  destitute  out 
in  the  far  island ;  and  was  this  what  they  had  allowed  her  to 
come  to? 

Then  her  heart  stood  still.  The  red  pine  door  at  the  cor- 
ner was  opened.  A  policeman  led  the  way.  Next  came 
Barbara;  and  at  the  first  glimpse  of  her  Jess  thought  she 
looked  fearfully  ill ;  but  was  it  not  that  her  eyes,  grown  ac- 
customed to  the  gray  twilight  of  the  cell,  were  partly  blinded 
by  this  unexpected  glare?  She  followed  obediently,  and  was 
directed  into  the  dock;  and  if,  during  these  few  yards,  she  had 
managed  to  take  some  brief  and  shuddering  survey  of  the  peo- 
ple assembled,  it  was  done  so  swiftly  as  to  escape  notice. 
1G 


362  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

Her  eyes  appeared  to  be  fixed  on  the  ground  as  she  passed  in 
to  occupy  the  chair  awaiting  her.  She  remained  with  her 
head  bent  down.  She  seemed  to  pay  no  attention — to  make 
no  effort  to  understand  all  tins  that  was  going  on  in  court; 
the  various  formalities — the  questions  put  and  answered — the 
business-like,  half-apathetic  conversation  between  the  prosecu- 
tion and  the  defence. 

But  of  a  sudden  the  strangest  thing  occurred.  Her  eyes 
must  have  been  wandering  a  little,  however  coweringly  and 
fearfully  ;  they  must  have  been  attracted  to  the  window  that 
gave  a  view  of  the  shimmering  blue  sea,  and  the  yellow  slopes, 
and  the  pallid  azure  mountains  of  Mull;  and  to  this  poor  im- 
prisoned creature  a  sight  of  the  far  hills  was  as  the  sound  of 
the  Alphorn  to  the  Swiss  soldier  in  the  Strassburg  trenches. 
She  uttered  a  piteous  little  cry.  Involuntarily  she  stretched 
forth  her  hands,  and  she  would  have  risen  from  her  seat  and 
made  in  some  wild  way  for  that  vision  of  the  shining  free 
world  without. 

"  Let  me  go  !"  she  exclaimed,  in  a  panting,  half-choked  voice 
that  thrilled  those  who  heard.  "  Oh,  let  me  get  out — let  mo 
go!" 

Jess  could  not  reach  her ;  Peter  McFadycn  was  bewildered, 
and  knew  not  what  to  do ;  it  was  Mr.  Grant,  her  agent,  who 
stepped  quickly  across  from  the  table,  and  put  his  hand  gently 
on  her  shoulder. 

"Be  still — be  still  now!"  he  said  in  a  low  and  persuasive 
voice  —  for  the  shcrifT,  in  all  the  severe  majesty  of  wig  and 
gown,  had  had  his  attention  attracted  by  this  slight  disturb* 
ance,  and  was  now  regarding  the  prisoner  curiously.  "  We 
will  do  our  best  to  get  you  out.  Indeed,  indeed  we  will.  You 
must  just  sit  quiet,  and  attend  to  anything  that  may  be  asked 
of  yon.  And  when  you  are  called  on  to  plead,  you  know  what 
you  have  to  say." 

And  so  she  withdrew  her  hopeless  eyes  from  the  warm 
splendor  of  that  outer  world;  she  sank  into  her  seat  again; 
and  resigned  herself  to  what  was  going  on.  But  she  did  not 
seem  to  comprehend,  any  more  than  hitherto,  what  that  was; 
and  they  did  not  bother  her  very  much;  when  she  was  called 
upon  to  plead  "<iuilty  or  Not  Guilty,"  she  succeeded  in  utter- 
ing the  two  words  required  of  her,  and  these  were  forthwith 


THE    PLEADING    DIET  363 

recorded  by  the  clerk.  By-and-by  the  policeman  at  the  end  of 
the  dock  opened  the  small  door  and  intimated  to  her  that  she 
was  now  to  leave ;  his  brother  officer,  who  had  been  standing 
just  behind  her  during  the  proceedings,  prepared  to  follow ; 
and,  thus  escorted,  the  prisoner  moved  away  out  of  the  sight 
of  her  friends,  disappearing  down  the  narrow  stone  staircase 
communicating  with  the  yard  and  the  cells. 

Jess  and  Allan  Henderson  descended  together  into  the  front 
street. 

"  Jessie,"  said  he,  "  do  you  not  think  I  might  go  through  to 
Glasgow  now?  You  see  how  aimless  all  this  routine  is;  and 
there  is  nothing  further  to  be  done  until  the  jury  trial — when 
they  will  pronounce  her  innocent,  and  set  her  free.  I  can  be  of 
no  use.  On  the  other  hand,  the  cry  of  a  dying  man  rings  in  one's 
ears — an  appeal  from  a  death-bed  is  not  to  be  thrust  aside." 

"  Poor  Allan  !"  said  Jess.  "  I  can  see  how  you  are  torn  two 
ways."  She  hesitated  for  a  moment.  "  But  maybe — maybe 
it  would  be  safer  for  you  to  ask  Mr.  Grant.  He  might  wish 
to  consult  you.  Then  if  there's  nothing  more  to  be  done 
about  the  witnesses — then  you  might  hurry  through  to  Glas- 
gow, and  at  least  show  to  your  friend  that  you  were  not  heart- 
lessly neglecting  him." 

A  stealthy  step  came  following  her :  she  was  touched  on  the 
arm. 

"You  need  have  no  fear,"  whispered  the  crouching  Niall 
Gorach  ;  and  he  spoke  eagerly  in  the  Gaelic  tongue.  "  It  is  I 
that  will  get  her  out  of  the  prison  this  night.  As  sure  as  the 
Good  Being  is  above  us,  I  am  telling  the  truth.  And  the 
Selma — the  Selma  will  be  leaving  the  North  Quay  at  eight 
o'clock  to-morrow  morning  for  Tobermory  and  the  outer  isles ; 
and  will  you  be  there  to  take  your  cousin  down  into  the  cabin, 
so  that  no  one  will  see  her?" 

Jess  turned  to  the  loose-witted  youth. 

"  What  cantrip  is  this  now,  Niall  ?"  said  she.  It  was  no 
time  for  folly ;  and  yet  she  could  not  bring  herself  to  speak 
harshly  to  the  lad. 

But  already  Niall  had  left  her  side ;  he  was  making  across 
the  highway  towards  Long  Lauchie  —  towards  Lauchlan  the 
regenerate  and  respectable,  who  was  walking  solemnly  home- 
ward in  his  Sunday  clothes. 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

A    BREAKING    AND    ENTERING 

But  Long  Lauchic  was  obdurate.  Uc  refused  to  listen  to 
these  mysterious  and  insidious  hints ;  he  forgot  all  about  old 
alliances  and  adventures;  nay,  from  the  lofty  heights  of  his 
new-found  virtue  he  sternly  admonished  this  gangrel-youth. 

"  What  are  you  growing  up  to?"  said  he.  "  It's  the  gallows 
will  be  the  end  of  you — I'm  sure  of  that.  No  lessons  like  any 
other  lad — no  apprenticeship  to  any  decent  trade — hiding  and 
jinking  about  the  country  like  a  gypsy — " 

"  If  we  could  get  the  black-haired  lass  out  of  jail,"  said  Niall, 
with  his  eyes  burning  eagerly,  "and  sent  away  by  the  steamer 
to-morrow  morning,  it's  Mrs.  Maclean  and  Jessie  Maclean  would 
be  fine  and  glad  of  that.  But  it  would  need  a  great  deal  of 
thick  twine — a  fearful  lot — and  rosin — " 

"Away  now!"  said  Lauchlan,  scowling.  "I'll  have  nothing 
more  to  do  wi'  you  and  your  tricks.  I  tell  ye,  it's  the  gallows 
will  end  you — son  of  the  devil  that  you  arc!" 

Well,  Niall  was  in  nowise  cast  down  ;  his  discursive  wits 
were  nimble,  and  had  already  contemplated  many  alternatives; 
he  would  manage  to  get  cord  and  twine  somehow.  And  in 
the  meantime  he  drew  away  from  these  straggling  groups  of 
people  ;  he  left  the  town  by  the  Soroha  road  ;  and  at  last,  w  hen 
lie  had  got  up  on  the  summit,  he  clambered  over  a  wire  fence 
and  entered  a  plantation  of  young  larch  and  fir.  Amongst  the 
thick  undergrowth  he  searched  for  and  found  a  worn  and  tat- 
tered game-bag  that  he  had  hidden  there  on  the  previous  day; 
and  with  this  in  his  band  he  crept  still  farther  into  the  twi- 
light of  the  wood,  and  disappeared. 

It  was  a  long  while  ere  he  returned  to  the  fence;  and  the 
first  objects  that  caught  his  sight  were  three  children  returning 
from  school — an  elder  girl  of  thirteen  or  so,  and  two  younger 
ones.     As  they  came  up,  he  stepped  out  into  the  roadway. 


A  BREAKING  AND  ENTERING  365 

"Daftie!  daftie !"  called  one  of  the  small  imps — and  ran 
away  laughing ;  while  the  other  one,  half  giggling  and  half 
frightened,  as  quickly  ran  after  her.  This  behavior  on  the  part 
of  her  charges  seemed  greatly  to  shame  and  annoy  the  elder 
girl,  who  was  a  quiet,  wise-like  little  woman  of  fair  complexion 
and  timid,  large  blue  eyes. 

"  You've  been  at  the  school  I"  said  Niall  to  her. 

"Yes,"  said  she,  still  blushing  hotly  over  the  misconduct  of 
her  companions. 

"  Mebbe  you  can  write  ?" 

"Yes." 

"  That's  a  strange  thing,  now,"  continued  Niall — "  a  wonder- 
ful strange  thing  that  you  can  put  words  down  on  paper  and 
tek  them  away,  and  they  are  as  good  as  a  message  to  any  one. 
Will  ye  show  me,  now? — will  ye  show  me  how  ye  do  it?  See, 
here's  a  piece  of  paper — and  mebbe  you've  a  pencil — let  me 
see  you  write  what  I  will  tell  you,  and  when  I  get  to  Duntroone 
I  will  be  asking  them  if  they  can  read  it." 

Perhaps  the  small  lass  felt  that  she  owed  him  some  little 
piece  of  civility ;  at  all  events,  she  brought  out  her  pencil  and 
wrote  for  him  the  words  he  dictated,  which  were  these  :  "  If 
you  can  use  the  file,  at  the  window  or  the  door,  and  get  into  the 
yard,  you  will  find  a  rope  hanging  over  the  wall." 

"But  that  is  silliness,"  said  she.  "No  one  will  understand 
that." 

"Aw,  it  will  do  very  well,"  said  Niall,  in  an  off-hand  fashion. 
"I  am  sure  I  am  wishing  I  could  write  myself."  And  with 
that  he  folded  up  the  bit  of  paper  and  put  it  in  his  pocket, 
leaving  the  small  maiden  to  continue  on  her  way  and  overtake 
her  companions — whom  she  probably  slapped  well  for  their  im- 
pudence. 

Niall's  next  encounter  was  with  Lucais  fiar-shuileach — that  is 
to  say,  cross-eyed  Luke — the  keeper,  who  was  coming  along 
with  a  brace  of  setters  at  his  heels. 

"  What's  in  your  bag,  Niall  ?"  he  called  out.  "  After  the 
young  black  game,  you  scoundrel?" 

"Oh  no,  Mr.  Innes,  I  would  not  do  that;  there's  nothing 
but  sticks,"  said  Niall ;  and  of  his  own  accord  he  opened  the 
large  and  ragged  bag. 

But  the  keeper  was  not  suspicious.     Niall  was  an  old  ac- 


3G6  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

quaintance  and  dependant  of  his,  receiving  from  him  many  an 
odd  job  in  the  shooting  season  ;  for  among  all  the  youths  and 
lads  about  there  was  none  so  indefatigable  in  beating  through 
the  woods  as  Niall  Gorach.  And  on  this  occasion  Niall  had 
not  lied ;  the  bag  was  really  half  filled  with  sticks ;  the  only 
thing  was  that  if  Lucais  fiar-shuileach  had  been  a  little  more 
particular  in  his  examination  he  would  have  perceived  that 
these  pieces  of  wood  were  carefully  cut  about  the  same  length, 
and  that  each  had  a  notch  incised  at  the  middle.  The  squint- 
eyed  keeper  resumed  his  march,  carelessly  whistling  the  praises 
of  the  Lass  of  Loch  Etive ;  while  Niall,  shouldering  his  bag 
again,  proceeded  down  the  hill,  until  he  neared  the  swampy 
morass  lying  at  the  back  of  the  town. 

Now  all  round  this  neighborhood  there  is  a  wide  tract  of 
land  chiefly  given  over  to  the  goods  department  of  the  railway 
— detached  wooden  sheds,  sidings  for  trucks,  and  the  like,  oc- 
cupying the  loose  space  in  a  kind  of  promiscuous  manner; 
while  generally  there  arc  one  or  two  of  the  clerks  or  porters 
coming  or  going,  because  of  the  short-cut  to  the  next  platform. 
Accordingly,  Niall  Gorach  made  his  way  across  this  outlying 
suburb  without  attracting  any  particular  attention  ;  nor  did  any 
spying  gaze  follow  him  as  he  drew  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
wall  surrounding  the  exercise-yard  of  the  police  prison.  Ar- 
rived there,  his  movements  were  rapid;  for  he  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  get  the  sticks  out  of  the  bag,  placing  them  in  little 
bandfuls  along  the  base  of  the  wall,  where  they  were  effectually 
screened  from  view  by  the  rough  herbage — docks,  sorrels,  rag- 
wort, and  so  forth  —  that  grew  luxuriantly  about.  Curiously 
enough,  in  this  place  of  coverture  there  was  also  a  long  row  of 
stones  of  considerable  size  that  had  apparently  been  carefully 
secreted  there;  indeed,  if  these  stones  had  been  sufficiently 
dark  to  resemble  coal,  any  inquisitive  passer-by  might  very  war- 
rantably  have  imagined  that  this  youth  was  bent  on  some  daft 
project  of  setting  the  whole  of  the  police  buildings  on  fire. 
However,  Niall,  having  deposited  these  pieces  of  wood  behind 
the  tall  weeds,  slung  his  bag  over  his  shoulder,  and,  with  an 
apparently  vacuous  look  on  his  face,  set  out  for  the  back  street 
in  Dlintroone  that  afforded  him  a  small  den  of  a  lodging.  lie 
bad  first  of  all  to  get  some  scrap  of  food,  and  then  to  wait  for 
the  night. 


A    BREAKING    AND    ENTERING  367 

But  it  was  a  long  waiting  at  this  time  of  the  year.  The 
evening  and  the  sunset  came  together  —  a  fiery  sunset  that 
burned  fierce  and  wild  behind  the  Mull  and  Morven  hills;  then 
that  was  succeeded  by  a  clear  and  lambent  after-glow,  in  which 
the  plum-hued  mountains  became  dark  and  vaporous.  Ten 
o'clock  arrived,  and  the  heavens  and  the  sea  had  grown  to  be 
of  a  pale,  ethereal  lilac ;  nevertheless,  far  away  on  the  still 
plain,  here  and  there  a  small  jet-black  speck  of  a  boat  showed 
no  sign  of  returning.  Niall  was  down  on  the  beach  now,  talk- 
ing to  Angus  Maclsaac ;  both  of  them,  with  more  or  less  of 
resignation,  regarding  one  of  those  distant  dots.  From  the 
trees  below  the  ancient  castle  came  the  sharp,  harsh  cry  of  the 
tawny  owl,  and  along  the  higher  woods  in  the  east  sounded  a 
more-protracted  and  softer  too-hoo-hoo-hoo ! — a  strange  and  un- 
earthly call  that  found  an  answer  somewhere  in  the  gathering 
twilight.  The  Maiden  Island  was  of  a  keen  and  sharp-cut 
ebony  against  the  slow-fluctuating  and  visionary  mists  lying 
about  Lismore.  A  three-quarters  moon  had  come  up  and  over 
the  Sound  of  Kerrara,  and  underneath  was  a  long  and  vivid 
pathway  of  golden  flame,  narrowing  and  widening  here  and 
there,  until  it  seemed  to  lose  itself  in  a  sprinkled  radiance 
among  the  spars  and  rigging  of  the  small  cutters  moored  close 
by.  And,  at  last,  through  the  magical  silence,  came  the  first 
muffled  sound  of  oars. 

Nor  yet  did  Niall  leave  his  companion  ;  not  until  the  smooth- 
gliding  boat  had  finally  been  brought  in  and  hauled  up  on  the 
beach.  Then  Angus  Maclsaac,  his  day's  work  over,  briefly  said 
good-night,  and  went  away  home  to  his  supper ;  while  Niall, 
now  deeming  himself  secure,  made  straight  off  for  the  wooden 
house  in  which  Maclsaac  kept  his  dismantled  craft,  and  also 
his  store  of  ship-chandlery. 

This  long,  low  shanty  was  erected  on  a  piece  of  waste  ground 
immediately  behind  the  Great  Western  Hotel;  so  that,  when 
Niall  reached  it,  it  was  obscure  and  almost  invisible  in  the  gloom 
thrown  by  the  greater  building.  The  half-witted  lad's  move- 
ments had  clearly  been  premeditated.  From  a  hidden  corner 
he  picked  up  his  game-bag ;  by  means  of  the  fence  belonging 
to  the  hotel,  he  easily  clambered  on  to  the  boat-house.  The 
window  in  the  roof  had  been  left  open  for  ventilation,  and  he 
still  farther  opened  it ;  he  shoved  his  legs  and  body  through, 


3G8  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

and  swung  himself  down  inside;  from  the  bag  he  took  out  and 
lit  a  dark  lantern  ;  and  now  he  found  himself  in  this  place  of 
strange  forms  and  vague  shadows,  with  its  all-pervading  odor 
of  paint  and  tar.  Then,  aided  by  the  bull's-eye  of  the  lantern, 
he  began  his  eager  exploration.  It  was  cordage  he  was  in 
quest  of  —  by  preference  cordage  about  the  thickness  of  the 
signal-halyards  of  a  small  yacht ;  but  it  was  evident  that  he 
was  not  very  scrupulous  in  his  harryings.  Cordage  new  or  old 
— guy-ropes,  mizzen-sheets — nothing  came  amiss  ;  until,  finally, 
he  sat  himself  down  in  a  sheltered  place  behind  an  old  boat, 
and  there,  by  the  light  of  the  carefully  shaded  lamp,  he  began 
to  cut  all  his  tackle  into  equal  lengths,  firmly  tying  near  the 
middle  of  each  length  two  of  the  notched  pieces  of  stick,  with 
about  a  foot's  width  between  them. 

It  was  an  arduous  and  tedious  task;  but  Niall  was  resolute, 
and  eventually  he  had  both  of  the  large  pockets  of  his  game- 
bag  crammed  full  with  those  lengths  of  cord.  Thereupon  he 
extinguished  the  lamp  ;  he  slung  the  bag  over  his  shoulder;  he 
mounted  on  the  upturned  keel  of  a  boat,  and  managed  to  spring 
cat-like  to  the  joists  supporting  the  roof;  from  thence  he  clam- 
bered through  the  window,  slid  down,  and  dropped  to  the 
ground  below. 

But  by  this  time  there  was  a  white  moonlight  filling  all  the 
world ;  the  esplanade  was  startlingly  distinct,  and  the  silence 
was  so  profound  that  the  almost  glass-like  sea  could  be  heard 
murmuring  for  a  great  distance  round  the  smooth  bays  and  the 
rocks.  Middle  of  the  night  as  it  was,  Niall  dared  not  go  along 
that  exposed  front,  nor  risk  attracting  the  attention  of  some 
stray  policeman  by  oven  the  most  stealthy  of  footfalls.  By  a 
circuitous  route  he  got  away  to  the  back  of  Duntroone ;  he  fol- 
lowed a  winding  valley,  and  climbed  up,  and  passed  through 
the  woods  of  Ardconnel ;  and  then,  cautiously  descending 
again,  drew  near  to  the  environs  of  the  goods  station.  Here, 
even  if  he  were  perceived,  he  would  not  be  so  much  remarked ; 
In-  would  most  likely  be  taken  for  some  ollicial  of  the  line  go- 
in^  about,  his  nocturnal  duties. 

I'n-  ently,  in    the  same   furtive   fashion,  he  had  crept  up  to 

tin  lofty  wall  surrounding  the  exercise-yard  of  the  police  build- 
ings; ami  now  he  was  tolerably  safe,  being  i"  a  black  shadow 
cast  by  the  strong  moonlight.     Forthwith  he  set  to  work.    lie 


A  BREAKING  AND  ENTERING  369 

got  out  the  long  lengths  of  cord,  and  to  the  end  of  each  tied 
one  of  the  big  stones  he  had  previously  concealed  behind  the 
docks  and  thistles.  When  he  had  a  number  of  these  engines 
prepared,  he  thought  he  would  try  one  ;  so,  getting  to  his  feet 
again,  he  took  the  stone  in  his  hand  and  heaved  it  over  the 
high  wall.  There  was  but  a  slight  noise  as  it  fell  on  the  ashes 
on  the  other  side.  Then  he  took  the  hither  end  of  the  cord, 
and  began  hitching  with  it  a  little,  until  he  had  got  one  of  the 
pieces  of  stick  on  each  side  of  the  top  of  the  wall,  which,  fort- 
unately for  him,  was  protected  neither  by  glass,  nor  spikes,  nor 
any  sort  of  chevaux-de-frise.  His  calculations  had  been  made 
with  sufficient  accuracy.  The  near  end  of  the  cord,  hanging 
down,  just  about  touched  the  weeds. 

The  paramount  question  was — how  many  of  these  stones 
must  he  needs  get  over  in  order  (along  with  the  friction  of  the 
pieces  of  wood  at  the  summit)  to  withstand  his  own  weight, 
slight  as  that  might  be  ?  But  then  he  had  ravaged  Angus  Mac- 
Isaac's  boat-house  to  some  purpose ;  the  abundance  of  signal- 
halyards,  guy-ropes,  jib-sheets,  and  the  like,  tempted  him  to 
make  surer  and  still  more  sure ;  until,  in  the  end,  standing  up- 
right, he  began  to  plait  and  overlap  these  strands  into  some 
rude  resemblance  of  a  cable.  Thereto  he  was,  in  a  measure, 
aided  by  the  sticks  at  the  top ;  but  anyhow,  if  the  scaling-lad- 
der was  of  the  simplest  and  most  rough-and-ready  description, 
it  at  all  events  promised  to  bear  his  weight. 

He  pulled ;  nothing  gave.  He  hauled  still  more  determined- 
ly ;  everything  seemed  secure.  And  then  he  began  to  ascend 
— warily — twisting  his  feet  round  the  rope — and  fending  him- 
self off  with  knee  and  elbow.  At  first  his  progress  was  easy 
enough ;  but  higher  up  the  strain  on  the  intertwisted  cords  was 
rather  bad  for  his  knuckles ;  nevertheless,  the  pieces  of  wood 
helped ;  and  at  length,  with  one  hand  on  the  smooth  and  coni- 
cal summit  of  the  wall,  he  managed  to  raise  himself  so  that  he 
could  peer  over  into  the  yard.  There  was  no  sign  of  life  any- 
where. The  open  square  was  of  a  pallid  and  silvery  gray;  so 
was  the  front  of  the  one -storied  wing,  the  small  barred 
windows  of  which  revealed  the  whereabouts  of  the  cells;  but 
the  other  buildings  were  in  an  intense  shadow,  along  which  any 
interloper  might  creep  with  comparative  impunity.  And  now 
Niall  Gorach,  grown  bold,  threw  a  leg  over  the  wall ;  and  took 
16* 


370  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

up  his  position  there — with  all  this  white  and  spectral  universe 
around  him,  with  the  solemn  peaks  of  Ben  Cruachan,  too,  ris- 
ing into  the  far  and  clear  heavens,  beyond  the  dusky  and 
wooded  bills.  Perhaps  he  did  not  notice  that  the  metallic 
splendor  of  the  moonlight,  touching  sea  and  cliff  and  house- 
front,  was  already  beginning  to  yield  to  a  more  ordinary  gray- 
ness,  especially  towards  the  east.  Niall  was  busy.  For  the 
sake  of  his  own  escape,  or  for  tbe  escape  of  the  captive  whom 
be  had  come  to  release,  he  had  to  reverse  the  ingenious  mech- 
anism by  which  he  had  practically  gained  entrance.  He  had 
to  unplait  the  improvised  rope  ;  with  each  strand  he  hauled  up 
a  stone,  to  be  dropped  on  the  outer  side  of  the  wall ;  and  then, 
when  lie  bad  roughly  reunited  tbe  cords  on  the  inner  side,  and 
made  sure  tbe  outer  weight  held,  he  quietly  slipped  down  the 
cable,  and  found  himself  in  tbe  yard. 

But  now  he  could  mistake  no  longer:  the  new  day  was 
near;  the  cold  and  penetrating  light  was  gradually  dispersing 
those  sombre  shadows.  And  how  was  he  to  tell  which  of  the 
row  of  small,  barred  windows  was  the  one  that  held  imprisoned 
the  black-haired  girl?  How  was  he  to  communicate  with  her? 
How  was  he  to  convey  to  her  the  file,  concealed  in  the  breast 
of  his  jacket,  that  had  round  it  the  pencilled  message?  He 
could  pitch  the  file  through  one  of  these  windows  easily  enough; 
but  it  might  fall  into  an  empty  cell.  Niall  looked  back  to  the 
twisted  cords:  it  might  after  ;ill  be  better  to  make  good  his 
own  retreat — until  he  should  have  acquired  more  accurate  in- 
formation. 

The  next  moment,  in  the  mystic  hush  and  silence  of  the  gray 
dawn,  there  was  a  Bttdden  rattle  and  clamor  as  of  twenty  parka 
of  artillery  simultaneously  bursting  forth  into  roar  and  fiamc. 
Niall  cowered  under  the  doorway  leading  to  the  Court-house; 
and  remained  there,  breathless  and  motionless.  Presently, 
after  this  loud  and  barsh  unbolting  of  locks  ami  bars,  the  big, 
stalwart  warder  stepped  out  into  the  open;  he  was  clad  only 
in  trousers,  shirt,  ami  waiscoat ;  he  had  obviously  come  forth 
to  have  bis  morning  pipe  in  the  fresh  air;  and  he  proceeded  to 
strike  a  match  on  the  clay  bowl.  The  head  of  the  lucifer 
dropped  off  ami  fell  at  his  feet;  with  a  friendly  curse  he  Hung 
the  stem  after  it;  then  he  rummaged  in  his  pockets — in  vain  ; 
then  he  turned  and  went  inside  again,  leaving  the  ponderous 


A  BREAKING  AND  ENTERING  371 

door  open.  It  was  Niall's  opportunity  —  come  what  might. 
He  darted  across  the  yard,  and  entered ;  he  listened  for  the 
warder's  footsteps ;  he  took  the  opposite  direction — which  led 
him  right  into  the  corridor  of  the  cells;  and  as  he  now  heard 
some  one  coming  from  the  other  end,  he  dodged  into  the  only 
corner  available,  which  chanced  to  be  the  bath-room.  Here 
there  was  a  vast  display,  not  only  of  towels,  but  also  of  colored 
blankets;  and  as  these  were  arranged  in  shelves,  Niall,  by 
throwing  himself  prone  on  the  floor  and  creeping  underneath, 
found  a  hiding-place  of  admirable  security.  Moreover,  he 
could  see  what  was  going  on  without. 

The  new-comer  who  had  startled  him  now  made  her  appear- 
ance ;  it  was  the  warder's  wife,  a  good-natured-looking  woman; 
and  it  was  in  a  friendly  voice  that  she  said,  when  she  had  lifted 
the  flap  of  the  small  aperture  in  the  door  of  the  nearest  cell : 

"  Good-morning  ! — and  I  hope  you  slept  well.  And  I'm 
sure  Miss  Jessie  will  be  coming  to  see  you  the  day." 

What  the  reply  was  Niall  could  not  hear;  but  this  was 
enough  for  him  ;  the  black-haired  lass  was  there — in  the  cell 
close  by ;  and  as  soon  as  the  woman  was  gone,  what  could 
hinder  his  passing  in  the  file,  with  its  written  directions?  And 
if  she  were  but  quick-brained  and  active,  surely  she  could  soon 
get  rid  of  the  trifling  stanchions  across  the  window  ?  And 
then  the  plaited  rope  awaiting  her — and  the  busy  day  not  yet 
abroad — the  fair-haired  cousin  looking  for  her  down  at  the 
pier — and  the  Sehna  about  to  sail  for  the  outer  isles ! — all  was 
going  well  now,  and  he  had  done  what  he  could  to  repay  the 
many  little  kindnesses  and  friendly  looks  of  Jess  Maclean. 

Alas!  at  the  very  moment  of  success  and  triumph  he  was 
baffled  and  captured — and  captured  most  ignominiously.  For 
just  as  he  had  stolen  into  the  corridor  and  was  in  the  act  of 
raising  the  leather  flap  so  that  he  might  drop  the  file  into  the 
interior  of  the  cell,  the  warder's  wife  chanced  to  return;  and 
without  any  scream,  but  with  astonished  eyes,  she  flew  forward 
at  this  stranger  and  seized  hold  of  him,  at  first  by  the  collar, 
eventually  by  the  ear. 

"You  —  you  young  sinner  —  is  it  you,  Niall  Gorach  —  and 
how  have  you  come  in  here?  And  what  was  that  you  were 
doing  ?  .  .  .  Are  you  there,  John — John  !" 

In  answer  to  the  summons  the  bulky  warder  came  sedately 


372  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

along;  and  when  he  saw  who  this  was,  he  seemed  inclined  to 
take  a  humorous  view  of  the  case. 

"  Well,  well,  you  young-  weasel,  you  have  got  in  ;  but  how 
are  you  going  to  get  out?  And  how  did  you  get  in?  Did  you 
come  through  the  front  office?  For  if  you  did,  it's  there  you're 
going  back ;  and  we  will  see  what  the  sergeant  will  be  saying  to 
von.  Was  you  ever  hearing  of  Paul  and  Silas,"  continued  the 
warder,  as  he  inserted  his  knuckles  under  the  collar  of  Niall's 
jacket — "  Paul  and  Silas,  that  had  many  stripes  laid  on  them 
before  they  were  cast  into  the  prison,  and  had  their  feet  made 
fast  in  the  stocks?  Was  it  that  you  were  after?  Well,  no 
matter;   we'll  go  and  see  the  sergeant." 

So  the  unhappy  Niall  was  haled  away  ;  and  when  they  had 
left  the  building  (this  time  the  warder  took  care  uot  to  leave  the 
door  open  behind  him)  he  was  taken  across  the  exercise-yard, 
and  so  into  the  police-station.  There  was  a  constable  walking 
up  and  down  ;  the  sergeant  sat  at  his  desk  reading  a  news- 
paper ;  an  old  char-woman  was  on  her  knees  at  the  front  steps, 
scrubbing  the  red  sandstone. 

"What  are  we  to  do  with  this  rascal?"  said  the  warder, 
dragging  his  captive  in  with  him. 

The  reply  was  unexpected.  With  a  sudden  twist  and  a 
spring  Niall  flung  himself  on  to  the  intervening  counter;  the 
impetus  carried  him  right  across  the  smooth  surface;  he  lit, 
not  on  his  head,  hut  on  his  hands — knocking  over  the  old 
woman  and  her  pail;  and  the  next  instant  he  was  up  on  his 
feet,  and  with  the  speed  of  a  hare  making  away  for  the  south 
end  of  the  harbor,  and  for  the  crags  and  bushes  under  the 
Gallows  Bill. 

"  Will  I  run  after  him?"  cried  the  dumfounded  constable  to 
his  Bergeant. 

J 5 1 1 1  the  sergeant  leisurely  grinned. 

"  Kun  after  Niall  Gorach  ?  Aye.  And  mebbe  you  would  try 
to  catch  b  Bquirrel  by  climbing  a  tree?  It's  the  devil  will  catch 
him,  and  no  other;  and  I'm  thinking  old  Beelzebub  will  hef 
his  hands  full,  when  the  time  comes!" 


CHAPTER  XLIV 
ASPHODELS    AND    GOWANS 

When  the  servant-lass  Sarah  appeared  at  the  door  of  Mr. 
McFadyen's  office,  and  announced  that  Miss  Jessie  Maclean  had 
called,  and  had  been  shown  into  the  parlor,  the  councillor  be- 
trayed an  instant  alarm. 

"Dod  bless  my  soul!"  he  exclaimed — heedless  of  the  pres- 
ence of  his  clerk.  "  Without  the  least  intimation  !  Is  every- 
thing trim,  woman?  Is  everything  redd-up  and  respectable?" 
Then  he  remembered  something — and  his  vexation  broke  forth 
in  vicious  terms :  "  Ye  stupid  idjit,  how  long  is  it  since  I  was 
telling  ye  about  the  curtains  and  the  sofa-cover  ? — how  long  is 
it  since  I  bade  ye  take  them  off  and  send  them  to  Perth  to  be 
cleaned?  But  no  —  no  !"  he  continued,  as  he  hastily  passed 
his  hanffs  over  his  topmost  and  scant  locks  of  hair.  "  Never 
a  thing  done !  All  ye're  fit  for  is  to  stand  glowering !  And 
what  on  earth  are  ye  glowering  at  now  ?  It  doesna  occur  to  ye 
to  whip  off  and  bring  in  some  tea?  Ye  never  heard  of  such  a 
thing  as  tea,  I  suppose?  Ye  never  saw  a  teapot,  I'll  be  bound ! 
A  great,  glowering  baggage — a  great,  glowering,  staring,  open- 
mouthed  gowk — " 

But  while  the  councillor  was  excitedly  and  angrily  dusting 
his  coat-collar  with  his  silk  pocket-handkerchief,  Sarah  the 
servant-lass  had  with  much  equanimity  turned  away  and  beta- 
ken herself  to  the  kitchen.  In  her  own  language,  she  "  never 
fashed  her  heid  about  a  daft  man."  If  tea  had  to  be  prepared, 
hurry  was  the  most  likely  thing  to  spoil  it.  And  the  parlor  was 
just  as  tidy  as  it  ordinarily  was;  if  any  one  wanted  it  better, 
notice  should  have  been  sent. 

But  the  town-councillor  was  far  from  being  waspish  and 
truculent  when  he  passed  through  from  his  office  to  the  dwell- 
ing-house part  of  the  premises.  He  welcomed  his  unexpect- 
ed visitor  with  quite  an  excess  of  courtesy  and  gay  gallantry ; 


374  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

until  Jess,  who  was  of  a  simple  and  straightforward  turn  of 
mind,  .rather  put  these  unnecessary  professions  aside. 

"  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  she,  regarding  him  with  her  gray 
eyes,  "  I  want  you  to  tell  me:  are  you  hiding  anything  from 
us?  Is  the  case  against  Barbara  more  serious  than  Mr.  Grant 
and  you  would  have  us  believe?  Why  lias  he  nothing  for  us 
but  vague  assurances  that  mean  nothing  at  all  ?  I  do  not  object 
to  your  saying  little  to  Allan  Henderson — poor  Allan  !  you  see, 
he's  very  childish  and  perverse  in  some  ways;  he  does  not 
understand  —  and  will  not  understand;  he  has  but  the  one 
mood  just  now — a  fuming  impatience  that  they  should  be  so 
long  in  setting  Barbara  free;  and  when  she  is  set  free — well, 
then,  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  he  took  a  thick  stick  in  his 
hand,  and  marched  straight  down  to  the  haberdasher's  shop, 
and  broke  the  stick  over  McLen nan's  shoulders.  It  would  be 
just  like  Allan  —  he  is  that  unreasoning  and  masterful — he 
thinks  that  justice  should  be  done  somehow — " 

"  Na,  na,  but  not  that  way  !"  cried  the  councillor,  anxiously. 
"  We've  had  enough  of  cells  and  charges  and  prosecutions;  I 
tell  ye  I  never  get  a  glimpse  o'  the  Court-house  but  a  shiver 
runs  down  my  back.  I'll  be  thankful  for  the  time  when  we  can 
look  on  the  whole  o'  this  as  an  old  story — half  forgotten — " 

But  Jess  was  not  to  be  put  off. 

"Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  she,  "  what  were  the  things  that  the 
police  took  away  when  they  went  up  with  McLcnnan's  man  to 
search  through  Barbara's  boxes  and  drawers?" 

"Oh,  well,"  said  Peter,  evasively,  "a  few  articles — the  pro- 
curator-fiscal has  them  in  charge,  and  they  are  all  scaled  and 
labelled.  Of  course  Mr.  Grant  has  the  right  of  access  to  them 
— no  mistake  about  that — he  is  entitled  to  sec  the  productions, 
as  they  are  called;  but  what  I  maintain  is  that,  as  the  accused's 
agent,  he  ought  to  have  access,  to  the  precognitions  as  well. 
For  I  would  ask  ye  this,"  continued  Mr.  McFadyen,  gaining 
in  breath  and  in  importance,  "how  are  ye  to  meet  a  charge 
nnless  ye  know  particularly  and  in  every  point  what  the  charge 
is?  The  information  that  her  Majesty's  Advocate, the  Right 
Bonorable  John  Blair  Balfour,  puts  into  the  indictment  is  pre- 
cious little;  as  a  friend  of  tin;  prisoner,  I  want  to  see  what 
evidence  i^  going  to  be  led — and  1  maintain  that  is  what  the 
law  should  allow  inc.     However,  we  can  make  a  bit  of  a  guess 


ASPHODELS    AND    GOWANS  375 

here  and  there ;  and  these  things  ye  speak  of,  they  can  help 
too — there's  the  red  parasol,  for  example — " 

"Yes,  the  red  parasol !"  Jess  repeated,  quickly. 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  McFadyen,  after  a  moment's  hesitation, 
"they  may  be  trying  to  make  some  idle  story  about  that  too; 
but  your  cousin  declares  that  she  paid  for  it — and  that  she  re- 
members, for  you  gave  her  the  money — " 

"  I  did  ?"  said  Jess  —  and  for  the  briefest  second  she  looked 
utterly  dismayed.  But  the  next  instant  she  had  pulled  herself 
together.  "And  —  and  if  I  did  —  why  not?"  she  demanded, 
with  pale  lips.     "  It  was  before  she  was  married — " 

"That's  just  it,"  returned  the  councillor,  whose  pride  of 
knowledge  was  leading  him  into  disclosures.  "  Mebbe  they 
will  be  trying  to  show  that  at  that  time  she  had  no  money  to 
afford  such  things — " 

"  But  if  I  had  ! — if  I  had  !"  exclaimed  Jess,  who  had  recov- 
ered from  her  temporary  trepidation.  "  Barbara  knew  well 
enough  where  to  come;  she  would  not  think  of  hesitating;  my 
purse  was  hers ;  there  was  the  money  for  the  parasol,  or  for 
anything  else  she  wished,  always  ready  for  her — " 

"I'm  sure  of  that  —  I'm  sure  of  that,"  said  McFadyen. 
"And  no  doubt  Mr.  Grant  will  be  giving  you  a  hint  what 
questions  he  will  ask  of  you  at  the  trial  —  if  the  prosecution 
should  chance  to  take  that  line,  and  if  you  should  be  wanted. 
And  you  must  not  worry  yourself  or  be  anxious,  Miss  Jessie; 
precognitions  or  no  precognitions,  we'll  do  our  best — " 

There  was  a  tapping  at  the  door;  the  large,  rubicund,  goose- 
berry-eyed servant-lass  appeared,  and  ushered  in  another  visitor 
— it  was  the  school-master. 

"  I  was  told  you  had  come  here,"  said  he  to  Jess,  forgetting 
to  make  any  apology  for  the  interruption.  "And — and  I  have 
but  a  few  minutes.     Will  you  read  this?" 

He  put  a  telegram  into  her  hand  ;  these  were  the  words  she 
found  before  her : 

"  Good-bye.     Not  able  to  write. — Alec." 

"  You  see  I  have  no  alternative,"  the  school-master  contin- 
ued, hurriedly.  "  I  must  go  through  to  Glasgow  at  once ; 
there  is  just  time  for  me  to  catch  the  train.  Onlv,  I  wanted  to 
say  a  word  to  you,  Jessie — " 


376  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  Will  you  let  me  walk  to  the  station  with  you,  Allan  ?"  she 
responded,  promptly.  "Then  you  can  tell  me  on  the  way 
what  it  is  you  want  of  me." 

"  Will  you  do  that?"  said  he.  "Aye,  but  you  were  ever  and 
always  the  good-hearted  one  !" 

Jess  nodded  a  friendly  farewell  to  the  councillor ;  and  the 
next  minute  she  and  Allan  were  passing  quickly  along  the  har- 
bor-front, conversing  in  low  tones,  their  eyes  occasionally  glan- 
cing towards  the  clock  at  the  railway  station.  Yet  it  was  no 
elaborate  request  he  had  to  make ;  it  was  merely  that  she 
should  seek  the  earliest  opportunity  of  gaining  an  interview 
with  Barbara,  and  explain  to  her  why  he  had  been  thus  hastily 
summoned  away.  Also,  would  Jess  do  what  she  could  to  lighten 
the  burden  of  this  inexplicable  imprisonment?  But  he  knew 
she  would  do  that  —  she  could  not  help  it,  lie  said  to  her  —  it 
was  in  her  nature. 

She  accompanied  him  along  the  platform,  where  the  guard 
was  urging  the  last  of  the  passengers  into  the  carriages.  As  Al- 
lan stepped  into  a  third-class  compartment,  he  suddenly  paused 
for  a  moment,  and  began  to  search  one  pocket  after  another. 

"You've  forgotten  your  pipe!"  said  she. 

She  saw  that  her  surmise  was  true ;  and  in  another  second 
she  was  off  and  down  the  platform  to  the  tobacconist's  stall, 
where  she  was  able — being  known  to  the  lad  in  chargi — to 
pounce  without  question  or  delay  on  a  wooden  pipe  and  a 
packet  of  bird's-eye.  When  she  returned  to  the  carriage  the 
train  was  already  in  motion.  She  banded  her  parting  gifts  in 
at  the  window. 

"  And  you'll  look  after  Barbara  ?"  said  he. 

"That  will  I,"  she  answered,  "as  well  as  I  can."  And  she 
waited  until  the  slow-moving  string  of  carriages  had  crawled 
round  the  curve  and  was  hidden  from  sight. 

This  was  the  afternoon  train  for  the  south  ;  and  by  the  time 
it,   had    panted   and   shrieked   and   thundered  its  way  inland  by 

the  shores  of  Loch  Etive  and  through  the  PasB  of  Brander,  the 
wide,  silver-rippling,  and  glancing  waters  of  Loch  Awe  had  be 
gun  to  assume  a  slightly  golden  hue,  rendered  all  the  more 
brilliant  by  being  visible  through  the  pendulous  branches  of 
the  birch-trees.  As  the  evening  drew  on,  there  was  up  by 
Glen  Dochart  and  Glen  Ogle  a  yet  warmer  light  shining  along 


ASPHODELS    AND    GOWANS  377 

the  shoulders  and  peaks  of  the  lonely  mountains ;  later  still, 
the  dark  Loch  Lubnaig,  down  in  its  hollow,  had  a  touch  of 
crimson  among  the  purples  and  grays  that  crept  into  the  trem- 
bling reeds;  and  still  later,  the  brawling  Leny,  the  widening 
Teith,  the  smooth-flowing  Allan  Water,  caught  here  and  there, 
from  the  overhanging  heavens,  a  glimmer  of  saffron  and  rose- 
red  fire.  And  then,  as  he  left  behind  him  the  last  of  the  High- 
land hills  and  Stirling  rock,  and  as  he  got  farther  and  farther 
down  into  the  Lowland  plains,  then  "  the  sun  set,  and  all  the 
ways  were  overshadowed ;"  and  when  he  got  into  Glasgow 
town  a  pervading  blue-gray  mist  had  filled  the  thoroughfares, 
and  the  gas-lamps  were  being  lighted. 

He  did  not  stay  to  secure  any  lodging  for  himself;  he  made 
straight  for  the  address  he  had  brought  with  him ;  he  entered 
the  dusky  "  close  "  and  ascended  the  sombre  stone  stair.  He 
rapped  at  a  door,  and  was  referred  to  a  floor  above.  Arrived 
there,  he  rapped  again  ;  and  an  old  woman  appeared,  bearing 
a  candle — for  now  it  was  practically  night. 

"  I  am  Allan  Henderson,"  he  said — fearing  to  question. 

"  Well,  well,  indeed,"  said  the  ancient  dame,  in  an  accent 
that  sounded  friendly  to  his  ear ;  "  he'll  be  glad  to  see  you — 
wake  as  he  is,  poor  lad.  Many  was  the  times  he  was  speaking 
of  you — aye,  will  you  come  in  now — and  not  mek  mich  noise, 
in  case  he  is  sleeping — " 

He  followed  her  into  the  lobby,  taking  his  cap  into  his  hand; 
and  then,  after  a  moment  or  two  of  surveillance,  he  entered  the 
room  she  indicated.  The  eyes  of  the  sick  man  —  which  were 
singularly  large  and  clear  and  lustrous — lighted  up  with  pleas- 
ure; a  worn  smile  of  welcome  appeared  on  the  white  and 
sunken  cheeks.  The  old  woman  brought  forward  a  chair;  but 
Allan  went  to  the  bedside,  and  took  his  friend's  hand,  and  re- 
mained standing. 

"Alec,  lad,  this  is  not  right — this  is  not  what  ought  to  be," 
he  said.  "  What  have  they  been  doing  to  you  in  this  great 
town? — we'll  have  to  get  you  away  to  Colonsay,  after  all — " 

"  Sit  down,  old  chap,"  said  the  other,  in  a  laboring  and  husky 
voice.  "  And  do  not  burden  your  soul  with  lies,  Allan  ;  you 
never  were  good  at  it;-  and  you  never  were  a  good  actor, 
either.  You  must  see  I'm  dying.  What  about  that?  Sit 
down  and  let's   have   a  bit  of  friendly  confab,  as  in  the  old 


378  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

days.    I  sent  ye  a  silly  cry — man,  ye  should  have  paid  no  heed 
to  it—" 

"  Come,  come,  now,"  Allan  interrupted,  as  he  took  the  chair 
that  was  close  by.  "I'll  not  have  ye  talk  in  that  fashion.  I 
should  not  wonder  if  your  own  instinct  was  the  best  guide,  after 
all — that  ye  should  be  off  to  have  a  look  at  the  seas  and  the 
clouds  about  Colonsay — " 

"  No,  no,"  MacNicl  said,  quietly.  "  The  long  pantomime's 
coming  to  an  end.  The  pantomime  with  its  demons  and  evil 
chances  —  its  hopes  and  adventures — its  sham  and  shimmer  of 
love  business  even  :  all  coming  to  an  end,  and  what  one  is  wait- 
ing for  is  the  transformation-scene.  And  after?"  For  a  second 
he  glanced  with  a  curious  look  at  his  friend.  But  in  those 
strangely  brilliant  eyes  there  was  no  sort  of  delirium — nor  any 
trace  of  agitation  or  apprehension  ;  what  little  life  was  left  him 
was  burning  away  quite  clearly,  peacefully,  complacently.  Nay, 
there  was  even  a  frail  touch  of  humor  about  the  pallid  lips  as 
he  continued :  "  Mind,  it  may  stand  well  with  me  that  1  have 
always  been  respectful  about  the  older  deities:  I  remembered 
Baudelaire.  Heine  was  wise  too  :  '  Mensch,  verspotte  nicht  den 
TeufeV — though  maybe  that's  carrying  prudence  to  an  extreme. 
Anyhow,  I've  always  held  the  great  old  gods  in  high  respect; 
and  who  knows,  when  I  go  below,  but  they  may  let  me  wander 
through  the  twilight  in  a  harmless  hind  of  way,  looking  at  the 
famous  ghosts.  The  heavy-browed  Homer  for  one — if  he's 
still  blind,  I  could  lead  him  about,  man! — and  Ulysses,  still 
thinking  and  dreaming  about  Sicily — and  Achilles — Achilles, 
sure  to  be  weeping  and  bemoaning  himself — would  rather  be 
the  slave  of  the  meanest  hind  on  earth  than  the  lord  of  all  the 
phantom  dead.  But  Nausicaa,  now — what  do  you  say,  Allan — 
if  one  were  to  come  anywhere  within  sight  of  her  playing  with 
her  maidens — well,  I  think  I  might  have  cheek  enough  to  step 
forward.  1  don't  think  I  could  help  it.  'Madam,'  I  would  say 
to  her,  as  humbly  as  she  might  wish — '  madam,  1  am  but  a  poor 
b  student;  and  yet,  if  you  will  permit  me,  I  would  like 
Well  to  stand  by  the  stream,  and  bring  you  back  the  ball  when 
it  chances  to  fall  in.'  Allan,  lad,  what  color  ia  the  asphodel?" 
The  Bchool- master,  startled  oat  <>f  b  reverie,  could  not  say  ; 
be  mattered  something  about  the  bog  asphodel  of  this  country 
being  a  small  spiked  flower,  of  a  yellow  color. 


ASPHODELS    AND    GOWANS  379 

"The  asphodel  down  there  must  be  purple — to  suit  the  twi- 
light," Alec  MacNiel  went  on — garrulous  even  in  his  huskiness, 
and  perhaps  too  much  rejoiced  over  this  visit  of  his  old  chum. 
"  Purple — aye — and  tall,  and  lily-like — for  the  huge  Orion  to 
go  crashing  through  the  meadows,  after  the  wild  beasts.  But 
Allan,  tell  me  this  now  :  is't  not  likely — supposing  I  were  to 
gather  a  handful  of  the  asphodels  —  a  whole  handful  of  purple 
asphodels  —  do  ye  not  think  I  would  be  ready  enough  to  give 
the  lot  of  them  in  exchange  for  just  one  single  gowan — a  gowan 
found  away  up  on  Cathkin  Braes — in  the  white  light  of  a  May 
morning  ?  Man,  do  ye  remember  how  white  the  mornings 
were  —  Sunday  mornings  mostly  —  away  out  by  Cathkin  and 
Kilbryde  and  Eaglesham  ? — aye,  and  not  to  be  despised  either, 
the  other  mornings,  when  we  could  take  a  turn  nearer  at  hand 
— out  by  Maryhill  or  that  way  —  before  coming  back  for  Ken- 
nedy and  his  high  Oxford  singsong — up  Maryhill  way — do  ye 
remember  the  farm-house — and  the  glimpses  of  the  Argyllshire 
hills  far  out  in  the  west  —  and  the  fancy  that  the  tops  of  them 
were  looking  across  to  Jura  and  Colonsay  and  the  Atlantic 
waves — " 

The  watchful  old  grandmother  came  sidling  up  behind  the 
school-master's  chair,  and  said,  in  a  whisper  : 

"Check  him,  sir  —  check  him;  or  he'll  be  bringing  on  the 
cough  again." 

Allan  held  up  his  hand.  "  Well  I  remember,"  he  said — 
"  well  I  remember  the  white  mornings,  and  Cathkin  Braes,  and 
many  a  silver  gowan  and  yellow  buttercup.  But,  ye  see,  Alec, 
fine  things  of  that  kind  are  rather  exciting  to  think  of — and 
you've  done  talking  enough  now — " 

"You're  not  going  —  after  a  mere  minute  or  two!"  the  sick 
man  exclaimed — pantingly  and  piteously. 

"Nay,  I'll  stay  with  ye  for  a  while — until  your  grandmother 
puts  me  out  maybe,"  Allan  rejoined  ;  "but  it's  I  must  do  the 
talking  now,  and  I'll  tell  yon  all  about  my  small  affairs  and  ad- 
ventures, since  the  time  I  went  to  Duntroone." 

And  this  he  did  —  for  a  good  half-hour  or  more;  and  in  a 
blithe  and  lightsome  fashion,  the  better  to  interest  and  amuse 
this  friend  of  old  days.  What  terrible  conviction  may  have 
lain  lurking  behind  all  this  assumed  cheerfulness  was  for  his 
own  heart  alone. 


CHAPTER  XLV 


ON  THE  EVE 


Next  day  lie  went  up  again  to  Alec  MacNiel's  lodgings.  Dis- 
tracted enough  he  was.  On  the  one  hand,  he  dared  not  remain 
longer  in  Glasgow,  fop  Barbara  was  to  come  before  the  sheriff 
the  very  next  morning;  on  the  other  hand,  it  seemed  impossi- 
ble he  could  tear  himself  away  from  this  poor  wretch,  whose 
eyes,  with  all  their  affectation  of  mirth  and  content,  had  a 
strange,  involuntary  pleading  in  them.  It  was  MacNiel  him- 
self who  sought  to  set  his  mind  at  rest. 

"  Away  home,  Allan — away  home  now,"  he  said.  "  And  take 
this  comfort  with  ye,  that  you'll  never  see  the  island  of  Colon- 
say — however  far  off  on  the  horizon  it  may  be — just  a  gray 
line — a  bit  of  thin  transparency — I  say  you'll  never  sec  Colon- 
say  without  remembering  that  you  did  the  last  possible  kind- 
ness to  an  old  friend  and  a  dying  man.  It  was  more  than  I 
conld  expect.  Railway  fares  arc  something  to  a  school-board 
master — aye,  and  one  that  lias  a  young  wife  and  a  house  to 
think  of;  and  if  you  had  but  said  good-bye  in  a  sixpenny  tele- 
gram, it  would  have  been  enough — " 

"  Be  quiet  now,  Aire,"  said  the  oilier,  sharply.  "  I  tell  you, 
I'm  desperate  vexed  I  have  to  leave  you  again  this  afternoon; 
\oii  see,  the  holidays  are  coming  to  an  end  now,  and  I  must  have 
everything  ready — for  my  olasses  as  well ;  but  then  I  can  come 
back — man,  I  can  come  back  ! — and  we've  not  done  yet  with 
the  project  of  taking  ye  to  Colonsay,  and  trying  you  with  fresh 
milk  and  new  potatoes — and  your  native  air  around  you — " 

The  sick  man  shook  his  bead,  and  there  was  some  wan  make- 
believe  of  a  smile  on  the  wasted  face. 

"  You  forget,  Allan.  I've  an  appointment.  Pm  due.  I 
must  be  waiting  in  the  meadows,  among  the  half-black  aspho- 
dels; and  when  those  Pbseacian  young  creatures  come  along, 
I'm  ready;   I've  got  my  bit  speech-prepared  for  the  light-foot- 


ON    THE    EVE  381 

ed  one  at  their  head :  '  Madam,  I  pray  yon  to  forgive  my  ac- 
cent ;  but  if  I  can  make  myself  understood  at  all,  a  poor  Scotch 
student  would  take  it  as  a  favor  if  you  would  let  him  stand 
down  by  the  stream  and  stop  the  ball  for  you.' " 

"  She  could  not  refuse  !" 

"  Oli,  well."  said  he,  with  a  sigh,  and  he  turned  away  his 
head,  "  there  may  be  some  strange  doors  unlocked  for  me  be- 
fore long.     I  wish  I  could  send  ye  word,  Allan." 

When,  on  the  evening  of  this  same  day,  Allan  Henderson 
returned  to  Duntroone,  he  found  the  ever-faithful  Jess  await- 
ing him  on  the  platform.  Jessie's  eyes  may  have  been  some- 
what concerned  and  apprehensive  ;  but  outwardly  she  was  bear- 
ing herself  with  her  accustomed  quiet. 

"  What's  the  news,  then,  Jessie?"  said  he,  as  he  stepped  from 
the  train. 

"  Oh,  nothing — nothing  particular,"  she  answered,  "  only  that 
all  of  us  are  naturally  a  little  anxious — anxious  that  everything 
should  go  right  to-morrow.  And  Mr.  McFadyen,  he  has  been 
as  busy  and  hard  at  work  as  Mr.  Grant  himself — about  the  wit- 
nesses to  character;  and  if  the  jury  will  believe  Barbara's  story 
— and  how  can  they  otherwise? — how  can  they  but  believe  it? 
— there  will  be  no  trouble  at  all." 

"  Could  we  go  in  to  see  her  now  ?"  he  asked. 

"  I  am  thinking  it  is  too  late  now,"  Jess  said,  with  some  em- 
barrassment. "  And,  besides,  they  are  maybe  not  so  friendly 
towards  us  since  Niall  Gorach  tried  to  get  her  away — " 

"  What  nonsense  !"  the  school-master  exclaimed,  impatiently. 
"  Are  they  afraid  of  the  silliness  of  a  crack-brained  creature 
like  that?" 

"  Perhaps  they  are  not  liking  that  any  one  should  have  been 
able  to  get  over  the  wall,"  Jess  suggested. 

"Why,  then,  do  they  not  put  spikes  on  the  top?"  he  de- 
manded. 

But  it  was  not  Jessie's  business  to  devise  means  for  the  bet- 
ter security  of  the  prison.  She  had  already  secured  her  point. 
She  bad  led  him  away  from  his  proposal  that  they  should  en- 
deavor at  this  unusual  hour  to  gain  access  to  the  cells ;  and 
by  the  time  tbey  were  leaving  the  railway  premises  he  had 
taken  his  place  by  her  side  with  unconscious  submission.  Stub- 
born and  fractious  as  he  was  with  most,  he  invariably  yielded 


382  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

to  Jess — and  never  knew  be  was  yielding'.  It  seemed  natural 
to  him  to  do  as  she  wished;  for  there  was  always  a  shrewd 
and  kindly  common-sense  in  what  she  said — even  when  she 
was  flouting  and  merciless.  And  if  Jess  was  now  taking  him 
along  with  her  to  press  on  him  some  bit  of  supper,  why,  he 
obediently  and  unheediugly  went ;  though  supper  was  about 
the  last  thing  in  his  thoughts. 

And  yet  it  was  no  mere  hospitable  stratagem  that  had  made 
Jess  solicitous  to  get  the  school-master  carried  away  home  with 
her.  Earlier  in  the  day  she  had  seen  Barbara — in  the  pale 
twilight  of  the  cool,  clean,  quiet,  terrible  cell;  and  when  she 
had  suggested  that  perhaps  Allan  might  return  from  Glasgow 
in  time  to  obtain  admission,  Barbara  had  shrunk  back  from 
that  prospect  with  something  like  dread. 

"  No,  no,"  she  had  replied,  in  a  low  voice — so  that  if  possible 
the  warder's  wife  might  not  overhear — "  I  am  not  wishing  to 
see  Allan  any  more  now,  before  the  trial.  They  have  been  ask- 
ing me  questions — and  I  have  been  thinking — maybe — maybe 
something  will  happen  to-morrow." 

"  Yes,  indeed  !"  cried  Jess — with  at  least  a  profession  of  great 
confidence.  "What  will  happen  to-morrow  is  well  enough 
known.  Your  story  is  quite  clear,  Barbara — they  can  do  noth- 
ing but  admit  their  mistake — " 

"But  you  will  keep  Allan  away,"  continued  Barbara,  as  if 
not  bearing.  "You'll  keep  him  away,  Jess !  And  thou  to- 
morrow— if  something  should  happen — if  they  say  I  took  the 
blouse — or  any  of  the  other  things — then  where  is  it  they  will 
be  sending  me?  Can  yon  tell  me,  Jessie?  Is  it  away  from 
I)untroone?  Is  it  where  I  would  not  have  to  meet  Allan  again  ? 
Would  they  let  me  go — without  having  to  face  him? — " 

"  I  hardly  understand  what  you  mean,  Barbara,"  said  Jess, 
slowly.  "Do  you  mean  if — if — the  law  should  say  the  evi- 
dence— was  against  you  ?     Do  you  mean  a  conviction  I" 

"Yes,"  was  the  answer,  uttered  in  a  whisper;  and  she  was 
hidden  and  cowering,  with  lowered  head. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Jess,  recovering  herself — and  now  she 
spoke  boldly — "if  the  law  should  find  you  guilty — justly  or 
unjustly,  if  the  law  should  find  you  guilty,  Barbara — there  is 
but  the  one  plaee  fur  vour  husband  to  be,  and  that  is  hy  your 
side.      And  that    is  where  Allan  Henderson  would  be,  in   such 


ON    THE     EVE  383 

a  case — that  I  know  well — I  know  the  man  that  he  is — I  know 
where  he  would  be.  And  why  should  you  distrust  him,  Bar- 
bara? Why  should  you  fear  him  ?  Since  ever  you  two  came 
together,  he  has  had  eyes  for  no  one  in  the  world  but  you. 
He  has  given  you  everything — grudged  you  nothing — the  tem- 
per and  stiffneckedness  he  many  a  time  shows  to  others  he  has 
never  shown  to  you — " 

"  But — but  I  had  never  brought  shame  on  him,"  was  the  re- 
sponse, in  half -smothered  accents — and  her  hands  were  clinched 
now  over  her  knees.  "  I  am  frightened  of  him,  Jess.  Jess, 
Jess,  I  am  frightened  of  him  ! — and  you'll  be  sure  not  to  let 
him  come  here  this  afternoon ;  and  to-morrow — well,  to-mor- 
row, if  they  are  sending  me  away  to  jail,  where  is  it? — " 

"  The  jail  ? — in  Glasgow,  I  suppose,"  said  Jess,  half  stupefied. 

"Ah,  and  then  I  can  get  away  without  seeing  him!"  she 
cried,  in  the  same  exhausted  voice.  "  And  I'll  never  come 
back,  Jessie,  I'll  never  come  back  again  to  any  of  you  ! — because 
of  the  shame."  Tears  gathered  in  the  beautiful,  out-sweeping 
black  lashes;  a  sort  of  infantine  piteousness  trembled  about 
her  mouth  ;  she  rocked  herself  to  and  fro.  "  Why  was  I  ever 
coming  to  Duntroone  ?  Why  did  they  bring  me  here,  if  there 
was  no  more  home  for  me  at  Knockalanish  ?  But  I'll  go  away 
now — I'm  going  away  now — and  I'll  not  come  back  to  bring 
shame  on  any  one — "  And  so  she  would  have  continued,  in 
despair  and  childish  self-commiseration,  but  that  Jess  Maclean 
was  by  her  side,  hushing  those  wild  words,  and  drawing  tow- 
ards her  the  downcast  head  with  all  its  splendor  of  raven  hair, 
now  so  sadly  despoiled  and  dishevelled ;  and  strangely  enough 
the  greatest  comfort  Jess  seemed  able  to  afford  was  the  reiter- 
ated assurance  that  Allan  Henderson,  whatever  time  he  might 
arrive  from  Glasgow,  should  not  be  allowed  to  come  near. 

And  even  at  this  eleventh  hour  the  indefatigable  Peter 
McFadyen  had  not  yet  done.  While  all  the  rest  of  the  world 
had  come  forth  from  the  houses  to  wander  hither  and  thither 
by  the  sea-front — for  gossip,  and  smoking,  and  to  watch  the  jet- 
hulled  rowing-boats  move  about  the  wide  golden  plain — the 
councillor  was  making  his  way  along  one  of  the  smaller  back 
thoroughfares,  until  he  paused  at  a  certain  entrance.  Then, 
in  an  apparently  off-hand  way,  he  glanced  up  and  down  the 
street — but  indeed  the  place   was  practically   deserted  ;    and 


384  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

when  at  length  he  dived  into  the  entry  and  made  his  way  up 
the  dark  staircase,  lie  met  no  one  at  all;  not  only  that,  but  on 
reaching  the  top  landing  he  found  the  door  in  front  of  him 
open,  while  a  profound  silence  prevailed.  He  hesitated.  It 
was  like  as  if  he  had  come  on  a  fool's  errand.  But  the  next 
moment  there  came  from  the  adjoining  room  the  sound  of  a 
voice — a  loud,  raucous,  monotonous  voice,  with  the  additional 
sound  of  some  one  pacing  up  and  down. 

"  Je  vous  salue,  monsieur,''1  proceeded  the  unseen  monologist. 
"Comment  va  la  saute!  Qui,  je  me  porte  a  merveillc,  Dieu 
merci — et  toujours  pret  a  vous  servir.  Des  draps  ?  Parfaite- 
ment !  Mais,  asseyez-vous — asseyez-vous  done,  monsieur!  J'ai 
des  draps  d' '  Anglcterre,  d"1  Allemagne,  et  de  Belgique  de  toutes 
les  couleurs  et  de  bonne  qualite.  Void  un  drap  superfin,  et 
Men  tondu.  .  .  .  Monsieur,  e'est  le  dernier  prix,  je  vous  assure. 
.  .  .  Mais  voyez  cette  autre  piece,  peut-etre  vous  conviendra- 
t-elle  davantage.  .  .  .  Non?  .  .  .  Voulez-vous  que  je  vous  fassc 
voir  des  couleurs  melangees? — " 

Mr.  McFadyen  held  back  no  longer;  he  knew  this  was  his 
man.  He  passed  into  the  lobby,  and  knocked  at  the  door  of 
the  nearest  apartment.  The  French  phrases  ceased ;  there  was 
a  half-uncertain  "Come  in!"  and  therewithal  the  councillor 
entered  the  room. 

He  found  before  him  a  young  man  of  about  two-and-twenty, 
with  a  shock-head  of  sandy-yellow  hair,  high  cheek-bones,  and 
small,  keen  blue  eyes.  The  unhappy  youth  was  blushing  furi- 
ously ;  his  face  was  about  as  red  as  the  "  Manual  of  Conversa- 
tion "  be  had  hastily  shut  and  placed  on  the  table;  and  he  was 
now  reaching  over  to  the  bed  to  pick  up  his  coat,  for  he  had 
been  marching  to  and  fro  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  on  this  warm 
sunimer  night. 

"  Mr.  McTaggart,  I  think  ?"  the  councillor  said,  pleasantly. 

"  Aye,  that's  my  name,"  was  the  shy  answer. 

"Mine  is  McFadyen — 1  dare  say  ye  know  who  I  am,"  Peter 
continued,  as  he  took  a  chair,  and  even  made  bold  to  possess 
bimself  of  the  small  red  volume  lying  on  the  table.  "  I  imagine 
I  heard  ye  at  the  French — it's  a  fine  language — a  great  leeter- 
ary  accomplishment — " 

"That  is  hardly  what  I'm  thinking  of,"  the  young  man  said. 
"  It  was  rather  for  business  purposes — " 


"'but  i'll  go  away  now,  and  Tll  not  come  back' 


ON    THE     EVE  385 

"Ah,  for  business  purposes?  But  surely  there's  no  so  many 
French  folk  coming  through  Duntroone  way  !"  rejoined  the 
visitor. 

"Oh  no.  But — but  I  was  thinking  I  might  get  a  better 
chance  abroad  than  staying  here — in  some  new  settlement — 
maybe  in  South  Africa,  or  East  Africa,  or  the  like;  and  if  I 
could  master  a  little  French  and  German,  perhaps  a  trifle  of 
Portuguese  too,  it  might  help  me  to  get  on — " 

"Admirable — admirable!"  cried  the  councillor,  with  lofty 
approval.  "That's  what  I  like  to  hear.  That's  the  true  spirit. 
'From  scenes  like  these  auld  Scotia's  grandeur  springs' — the 
humble  lodging,  the  energetic  young  Scotchman  laying  his 
plans,  with  an  eye  to  the  Colonies,  or  farther  even  than  that. 
And  what  would  our  Colonies  be  but  for  the  pushing  young 
Scotchman,  who  is  up  at  the  front  everywhere?  Aye,  and  in 
the  race  for  Africa,  that  they  talk  about,  grant  a  Scotchman 
his  own  mother-wit,  and  give  him  besides  such  implements  as 
these — these  languages  —  and  where's  his  equal,  where's  his 
rival?"  The  councillor  calmed  down  a  little  from  this  dithy- 
rambic  outburst,  and  began  to  turn  over  the  pages  of  the 
Manual.  "  And  teaching  yourself,  too  ?"  he  resumed,  encour- 
agingly. "  That's  well — that's  well.  But  do  ye  not  experience 
a  little  difficulty  with  the  pronunciation?" 

"I  have  a  Pronouncing  Dictionary,"  the  young  man  made 
answer — perhaps,  with  all  his  bashfulness,  beginning  to  think 
that  Mr.  McFadyen  the  coal  merchant  might  as  well  state  the 
object  of  his  visit. 

"  Not  so  satisfactory,"  said  Peter,  with  a  critical  air. 
"  There's  nothing  like  hearing  the  folk  themselves  speak  for 
giving  ye  the  turn  of  a  language.  Nothing  like  travel.  Have 
ye  ever  been  across  the  water  to  France  ?" 

"  I  have  never  been  as  far  south  as  London,"  said  the  young 
haberdasher. 

"  Dod  bless  me !"  exclaimed  the  councillor.     And  then  he 

added  dryly :   "  But  I  wouldna  have  ye  begin  there.     If  ye 

would  understand  what  the  folk  in  the  street  are  saying,  ye 

must  try   something  easier  than    London.     Ostend,  now,  or 

Calais,  or  Paris  itself — though  in  Paris  they  are  rather  given 

to  that  nipping  and  pinching  of  their  speech,  and  the  hurry 

they're  in  is  just  fearful.     But  it  would  be  practice  for  ye;  it 
17 


386  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

would  be  practice ;  and  I'm  sure  ye'd  like  to  see  the  way  they 
deck  out  the  splendid  windows  o'  their  magazines,  as  they  call 
them  ?" 

"That  I  would,"  returned  the  young  man,  quickly,  with  his 
eyes  lighting  up.  Then  he  added:  "But  it's  not  to  be 
thought  of,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned ;  it's  far  away  beyond 
me." 

All  this  while  the  town -councillor  had  been  idly  turning 
over  leaf  after  leaf,  and  glancing  at  this  or  that  phrase;  but 
now  he  slowly  shut  the  book,  and  placed  it  on  the  table,  and 
shoved  it  away  from  him. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  McTaggart,"  said  he;  "I  should 
have  told  you  ere  now  my  chief  purpose  in  calling  upon  ye. 
As  I  understood  it,  you  are  one  of  the  principal  witnesses,  if 
not  the  principal  witness,  in  the  trial  that's  to  take  place  to- 
morrow." 

The  draper's  young  man  looked  uncomfortable — but  did  not 
reply. 

"  No  that  I'm  seeking  to  interfere  wi'  the  ends  of  justice," 
McFadycn  continued.  "  God  forbid.  I  would  rather  promote 
them.  But  you  are  a  young  man — perhaps  not  deeply  read 
in  human  nature — perhaps  not  accustomed  to  seeing  a  young 
woman  in  distress — or  to  comprehend  what  she  may  say  or  do 
to  save  herself.  Do  ye  understand  me?  It's  a  terrible  thing 
to  give  evidence  that  may  ruin  a  fellow-creature,  and  bring 
disgrace  on  her  family.  Are  ye  so  sure  of  your  own  observa- 
tion— of  your  accuracy  of  sight  and  hearing?  I  have  learned 
what  story  it  is  you  have  to  tell;  most  of  us  have  an  inkling  ; 
and  I  suppose  to-morrow,  when  the  sheriff  has  bade  ye  take 
the  oath,  you  are  prepared  to  abide  by  what  you  think  did 
really  happen — " 

"  I  can  but  tell  the  truth  !"  the  young  man  blurted  out — 
perhaps  with  some  vague  sensation  of  alarm. 

"I  admire  ye  for  that,"  Peter  continued,  calmly.  "But 
have  ye  considered,  now?  If  ye  were  to  bear  false  witness — 
however  innocently,  however  unintentionally — I'm  sure  it  would 
haunt  ye  to  your  dying  dav  :  what  then  would  be  your  satis- 
faction in  striving  and  holding  your  own  among  all  the  fellows 
that  call  themselves  the  pioneers  o'  civilization?  Whereas — 
and   this   is  what   I   want  particularly  to  impress  on   ye,  Mr. 


ON    THE    EVE  387 

McTaggart — and  I'm  not  interfering — I  would  not  interfere — 
what  I  want  to  fix  in  your  mind  is  that  it  is  so  easy  not  to 
say  things  when  you're  called  as  a  witness.  It's  so  easy  to  be 
safe,  for  your  own  peace  of  mind,  for  the  satisfaction  of  your 
own  conscience,  in  after  hours  and  days.  That  poor  creature 
of  a  lass,  how  could  she  know  what  she  was  doing  or  saying 
when  she  was  startled  by  such  a  charge  being  brought  against 
her?  You  have  the  impression — an  honest  impression — yes, 
yes,  doubtless — you  have  the  impression  that  she  offered  to  pay 
for  the  blouse  :  but  are  ye  sure? — are  ye  going  to  hamper  your 
conscience  with  a  possibility?  And  as  for  the  other  things 
you  think  she  said — why,  surely  in  such  a  moment  of  desper- 
ate flurry  and  fright,  it  is  all  a  matter  of  construction  ;  and 
your  friendly  construction — your  friendly  word — or,  better 
still,  what  ye  might  refuse  to  say — would  just  be  life  or  death 
to  her,  and  the  saving  or  the  disgrace  of  her  family  and  friends.'" 

The  young  man  was  staring ;  and  well  he  might  stare.  For 
now,  without  a  further  word,  Mr.  McFadyen  took  forth  from 
his  pocket-book  a  brand-new  Bank-of-Scotland  note  for  £5, 
and  placed  it  on  the  table  before  him.  And  then  he  took  out 
another,  and  spread  that  beside  its  fellow.  And  then  he  went 
to  the  window,  and  stood  there  for  a  moment  or  two,  looking 
through  the  dim  panes. 

"  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  the  poor  lad,  in  an  agitated  voice, 
"  what  do  ye  mean  ?  I'm  bound  to  tell  the  truth — I'll  have  to 
take  the  oath  to  speak  the  truth — " 

Peter  turned  round — with  a  sharp  and  swift  glance.  The 
two  bank-notes  still  lay  on  the  table.  He  advanced  a  step, 
took  them  up,  and  restored  them  to  his  pocket-book. 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  with  a  bland  magnanimity.  "  That  is  un- 
doubtedly so.  But  I  would  just  remind  ye — for  ye  are  a  young 
man  yet — that  it  is  hard  to  tell  what  the  truth  may  have  been 
in  a  moment  of  excitement;  and,  as  I  say,  a  friendly  witness 
can  omit  this  or  that,  and  salve  his  own  conscience  as  well. 
Do  ye  think  I  am  offering  a  bribe?  Na,  na,  I'm  acquainted 
with  the  law  !  But — but  I  was  thinking,  after  I  heard  ye  busy 
wi'  your  French  conversation,  that  a  young  man  like  you  would 
profit  just  beyond  measure  by  a  week  or  two's  travelling  abroad 
— your  next  holidays,  I  mean ;  and  I  would  like  to  help  you. 
Aye,"  concluded  the  wily  councillor,  as  he  rose  to  his  feet,  "  and 


3S8  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

I  would  add  this:  that  whatever  ye  happened  to  see  lying  on 
the  table  remains  in  my  pocket-book,  for  the  present;  but — 
but  without  prejudice,  as  the  lawyers  say,  it  might  come  out 
and  lie  on  the  table  again.  Do  ye  understand  me?  There's 
no  bribery  attempted  or  thought  of — God  forbid ;  but  a  friendly 
witness  is  a  friendly  witness ;  and  a  friendly  witness  is  one  that 
keeps  a  happy  conscience  thereafter  in  his  own  body.  Do  ye 
understand  me? — and  Til  just  leave  ye  to  think  over  what  I've 
said." 

And  therewith  the  unscrupulous  McFadyen,  quite  pleased 
with  himself  and  his  astuteness  and  diplomacy,  got  him  out  of 
the  silent  and  empty  house ;  and  presently  was  down  again  on 
the  busier  esplanade — where  the  moving  groups  of  people  were 
almost  ebony-black  against  the  russet  and  golden  after-glow  that 
filled  both  sea  and  sky. 


CHAPTER   XLVI 


ARRAIGNED 


"The  Court!"  called  out  the  crier;  a  sudden  hush  fell  over 
the  scattered  groups  of  folk  in  the  red  pine  pews;  from  the 
opened  door  the  sheriff,  in  wig  and  gown,  advanced  to  his  place 
on  the  bench ;  the  one  or  two  lawyers  at  the  central  table  rose 
and  bowed,  and  the  salutation  was  returned;  then  the  business 
of  the  day  began.  It  was  all  so  commonplace,  familiar,  routine- 
like. Those  people — the  spectators — had  been  idly  talking  to 
each  other  about  their  ordinary  affairs ;  or  glancing  out  of  the 
tall  window  towards  the  blue  mountains  of  Mull ;  or  with  a  list- 
less curiosity  scanning  some  new-comer.  They  seemed  little  to 
comprehend  what  issues  were  involved — what  all  this  meant  to 
the  solitary  figure  in  the  dock,  alone  with  her  own  dreadful 
fears,  perhaps  even  with  her  despair. 

But  there  was  at  least  one  person  present  who  was  nervously 
and  excitedly  alive  to  all  that  was  going  on ;  and  that  was  the 
little  widow,  who  was  seated  by  her  daughter's  side,  with  her 
hand  firmly  griping  Jessie's  arm.  She  said  nothing  while  the 
sheriff-clerk,  in  the  well  of  the  court,  was  reading  aloud  the 
charge  against  the  accused  ;  she  only  ejaculated,  to  herself, 
"  Poor  lass !"  when  the  judge  formally  asked  Barbara  if  she 
adhered  to  her  previously-tendered  plea  of  "  Not  Guilty ;"  but 
when  the  clerk  proceeded  to  impanel  the  jury,  her  agitation 
could  hardly  be  kept  within  control. 

"  See,  see !"  she  said,  in  a  hurried  undertone,  to  Jess.  "  There's 
Johnnie  Wilson — Johnnie  ! — that  I  mind  coming  to  Duntroone 
a  long-legged  lad  with  scarce  a  pair  of  shoes  to  his  feet.  Aye, 
and  many's  the  good  turn  your  father  was  doing  him ;  do  you 
think  Johnnie  Wilson  would  be  wishing  to  harm  us  now? 
And  McKendrick,  Jess — d'ye  see  McKendrick  the  boat-builder 
yonder — ah,  that's  a  good  man — just  a  perfect  man — an  elder 
in  Queen  Street  Free  Kirk ;  and  it's  no  possible  he  would  lift 


390  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

a  finger  against  an  orphan  !  It's  just  no  possible !  And  did 
you  think  Barbara  made  it  quite  clear  to  them  that  she  was 
pleading  '  Not  Guilty  ? — I  could  hardly  hear  her  myself — and 
they're  in  such  a  hurry  from  one  thing  to  another  that  a  body 
is  just  driven  daft-like.  See,  Jess,  there's  McLaughlin  the 
bookseller  ! — a  wise,  kindly  lad — as  kindly  a  lad  as  ever  lived  ! 
— if  I  had  known  he  was  to  be  on  the  jury,  I  would  have 
slippit  round  one  of  these  past  evenings  to  see  him  and  his 
mother.  And  do  ye  not  think  ye  could  make  a  bit  signal  to 
him,  and  let  him  see  we  are  here,  and  looking  to  him  for  help? 
There  could  be  no  harm  in  that,  lass — no  harm  at  all — " 

"  Sh  !  mother  !"  said  Jess,  under  her  breath. 

For  now  the  procurator-fiscal,  rising  from  his  place  at  the 
table,  intimated  to  the  judge  that  he  would  proceed  to  lead 
evidence  ;  and  the  first  witness  summoned  by  the  crier  was 
Alexander  McLennan.  Mr.  McLennan  the  draper — a  small, 
pale,  black-a-vised,  shy-looking  man — stepped  along  and  entered 
the  witness-box.  The  little  widow  was  regarding  him  with 
eyes  that  burned. 

"  Ah,  the  ape  ! — ah,  the  serpent  I"  she  muttered,  through  her 
clinched  teeth — and  she  was  all  trembling  with  passion.  "To 
bring  such  a  story  against  one  of  my  girls!  If  my  poor  man 
was  alive — if  my  man  was  alive  to  look  after  us — McLennan 
would  not  be  standing  there  with  his  brazen  face — " 

And  yet  McLennan  the  draper — when  the  oath  had  been 
administered  to  him  by  the  sheriff,  and  when  the  fiscal,  follow- 
ing the  witness's  precognition  which  lie  held  in  his  hand,  set 
about  eliciting  his  story — McLennan  did  not  appear  to  be  act- 
uated by  any  animosity.  The  tale  he  had  to  tell  was  simple 
enough.  In  answer  to  the  fiscafs  questions,  he  said  he  had 
been  led  to  suspect  the  accused  because  of  the  disappearance  of 
certain  articles  after  she  had  been  visiting  his  shop;  and  he 
had  resolved  to  watch,  and  had  jrdercd  his  assistants  to  do  the 
like.  On  the  day  in  question,  ihe  accused  entering  the  shop, 
he  had  directed  the  silk  tartan  I  ousc  now  produced — produced 
and  lying  on  tin;  table  for  the  jury  to  sec — to  be  placed  on  the 
counter.  She  had  on  one  or  two  previous  visits  examined  the 
blouse,  inquired  the  price,  and  so  forth.  On  this  last  occasion 
she  had  made  some  small  and  unimportant  purchases,  and  was 
about  to  leave  the  shop  again,  when   witness,  who  had  been 


ARRAIGNED  391 

standing  behind  a  rack  used  for  the  hanging  and  displaying  of 
shawls,  stepped  forward  and  intercepted  her.  He  saw  that  the 
blouse  was  gone ;  he  assumed  that  she  had  taken  it ;  and  asked 
her  if  she  had  received  a  bill  for  it.  The  prisoner  was  greatly 
disconcerted ;  said  she  had  not  taken  the  blouse ;  at  the  same 
moment  it  appeared  to  fall  from  underneath  her  half-open 
jacket.  She  then  made  conflicting  statements ;  first,  that  she 
meant  to  pay  for  it  on  her  return ;  again,  that  it  had  fallen  on 
the  floor  by  accident ;  again,  that  she  had  been  commissioned 
to  buy  it  for  her  cousin,  and  would  bring  the  money  presently; 
at  last  she  said  she  would  give  them  the  price  of  the  blouse 
twice  over  if  they  would  let  her  go.  Then  he  sent  for  a  police- 
man. 

"  Aye,  aye,"  said  the  widow,  breathing  hard,  "  but  it  is  not 
a  policeman  you  would  want,  if  God  was  to  strike  you  dead 
for  your  lies !" 

The  fiscal  sat  down,  and  the  long,  thin,  sandy-haired  Mr. 
Grant  got  up,  leisurely  twisting  his  watch-chain  between  finger 
and  thumb.  Addressing  the  witness,  he  said  he  wished  to  put 
a  few  questions.  Had  he,  McLennan,  on  any  previous  occasion 
observed  the  prisoner  abstract  any  article  from  his  shop?  No? 
Then  how  came  he  to  fix  his  suspicions  on  her  out  of  all  his 
customers?  Did  he  do  so  just  at  random?  Being  annoyed 
over  these  losses,  was  he  determined  to  secure  a  scape-goat,  no 
matter  whom?  And  being  resolved  to  convict  somebody,  he 
was  not  above  laving  a  snare?  And  having  prepared  his  trap, 
he  was  fully  anticipating  that  his  designed  victim  would  fall 
into  it?  He  was  behind  a  screen  of  shawls,  and  perhaps 
could  not  see  very  well ;  but,  expecting  a  certain  thing  to 
happen,  he  did  not  need  the  evidence  of  his  eyes:  he  jumped 
to  the  conclusion  that  it  had  happened? 

"Ah,  do  ye  hear? — do  ye  hear,  Allan?"  exclaimed  the  im- 
plusive  and  warm-hearted  little  widow,  as  she  leaned  over  and 
touched  the  school  -  master  on  the  arm — the  school -master, 
whose  absorbed  and  rapt  attention  seemed  to  be  following 
every  turn  and  twist  of  the  desultory  narrative. 

The  cross-examination  continued.  Was  he,  McLennan,  ready 
to  swear  that  he  actually  saw  the  blouse  in  the  possession  of 
the  accused?  No?  It  only  appeared  to  fall  from  her  when  he 
stepped  forward  ?     At  all  events,  it  would  be  safe  to  say  that, 


392  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

when  be  emerged  from  his  hiding-place  and  advanced  to  the 
accused,  the  first  he  saw  of  the  blouse  was  either  that  it  was 
falling,  or  had  fallen,  to  the  floor  in  front  of  him  ?  But  there 
were  different  ways  and  means  by  which  it  might  have  come 
there?  He  was  doubtless  familiar  with  the  fact  that  women's 
dress  in  the  present  day  was  frequently  adorned  with  prehen- 
sile tags  and  gewgaws  well  calculated  to  sweep  off  any  loose 
article  lying  about?  As  to  the  so-called  confession  of  the 
prisoner,  was  he  prepared  to  swear  that  these  were  the  exact 
and  literal  words  she  had  used  ?  Was  his  memory  so  prodig- 
iously accurate?  He  had  not  jotted  down  any  memorandum  of 
these  contradictory  sentences?  Was  he  himself  somewhat 
perturbed  by  this  unusual  incident?  As  these  quiet,  insidious, 
encouraging  little  questions  came  at  him  one  after  the  other, 
the  shy -looking  black-a-vised  draper  became  more  and  more 
visibly  discomposed  —  and  Mrs.  Maclean  more  and  more  tri- 
umphant. It  is  true,  the  re  -  examination  by  the  fiscal  in  a 
measure  restored  Mr.  McLennan's  equanimity  ;  and  he  stepped 
out  from  the  box  and  passed  along  to  the  witnesses'  room 
happily  unconscious  of  the  vengeful  and  bitter  regard  with 
which  the  widow  followed  him. 

The  next  witness — young  McTaggart  the  shopman  —  was 
clearly  from  the  very  outset  in  a  condition  of  abject  fright, 
lie  entered  the  box  apprehensively  ;  his  uplifted  right  hand, 
when  the  sheriff  administered  the  oath,  was  tremulous;  his 
replies  to  the  questions  of  the  fiscal  were  mumbled  and  almost 
inaudible.  And  it  is  to  he  presumed  that  no  one  in  all  the 
Court-house  now  listened  more  keenly  than  Peter  MacFadyen  ; 
here  was  his  man;  and  little  did  the  lawyers  biting  the  end  of 
their  quills  know  of  the  secret  influences  that  had  been  brought 
to  bear  to  outwit  them.  At  first,  indeed,  the  shock-headed 
youth's  narrative  of  what  had  happened  at  the  counter  was 
mainly  a  corroboration  of  his  employer's  statements. 

"  Aye,  aye — yes,  yes,"  muttered  the  widow,  in  spite  of  all 
her  daughter's  persuasive  repression,  "a  fine  story,  ray  young 

lad  !— and  if  your  master  is  a  liar,  why  should  not  you  be  too? 
Bu1  wait  till  Grant  gets  at  ye!  Aye,  it's  souk;  combing  of 
your  besom -hair  that's  wanted  for  yon,  my  line  fellow — and 
Grant  will  give  it  ye  directly!" 

But  when   Mr.  Grant  came  to  cross-examine  the  unhappy 


ARRAIGNED  393 

young  man,  he  found  him  an  almost  too  easy  prey.  The  be- 
wildered youth  was  ready  to  admit  anything.  His  most  pas- 
sionate hope  of  being  able  to  practise  French  conversation  in 
the  streets  and  omnibuses  of  Paris  could  not  have  been  more 
effectual  than  his  pathetic  desire  to  propitiate  this  ruthless 
questioner.  He  was  not  playing  into  the  hands  of  the  defence 
through  any  base  longing  for  McFadyen's  £10;  he  was  merely 
frightened  out  of  his  wits  on  finding  himself  in  a  public  pil- 
lory ;  and  willing  to  assent  to  every  one  of  the  lawyer's  sug- 
gestions, so  that  he  might  the  sooner  escape.  Accordingly,  he 
acknowledged  that  it  was  with  some  reluctance  he  had  con- 
sented to  set  a  trap  by  means  of  which  this  young  woman 
might  be  tempted  into  the  commission  of  a  crime.  He  agreed 
that  it  was  impossible  he  could  have  kept  the  snare  under 
continuous  supervision ;  for  he  was  fetching  down  things  from 
the  shelves  for  the  accused  to  examine;  again  and  again  he 
must  have  turned  his  back.  Moreover,  he  owned  that  he  had 
not  placed  any  weight  or  other  article  on  the  blouse,  after  lay- 
ing it  on  the  counter  :  there  was  nothing  to  hinder  its  being 
swept  off  by  some  slight  accident.  Again,  he  was  on  the  inside 
of  the  counter:  how,  then,  could  he  see  in  what  manner  the 
blouse  came  to  reach  the  floor,  on  the  outside?  As  to  the  con- 
flicting statements  alleged  to  have  been  made  by  the  prisoner, 
was  he  prepared  to  swear  to  precise  words  and  expressions 
used  in  a  moment  of  extreme  agitation  ?  But  at  this  point  the 
shock-headed  youth  began  to  develop  a  confusion  and  a  gasp- 
ing acquiescence  that  were  not  only  extremely  welcome  to  the 
lawyer,  but  that  also  convinced  Mr.  McFadyen  he  would  sooner 
or  later,  and  in  some  cryptic  fashion,  have  to  pay  over  £10. 
The  young  man,  his  complexion  pale,  his  forehead  clammy,  his 
eyes  dilated  and  nervous  —  appeared  to  be  in  some  kind  of 
hypnotic  trance;  he  remembered,  or  did  not  remember,  just  as 
this  long,  thin,  sandy-haired  agent  thought  fit  to  suggest ;  he 
clung  desperately  to  the  formula  '  the  best  of  his  belief.'  Nor 
did  re  -  examination  restore  him  to  himself;  white-faced,  pro- 
tuberant-eyed, he  seemed  to  reel  away  from  the  box,  as  it 
were;  and  doubtless  began  to  breathe  again  only  when  he 
found  that  the  gaze  of  the  crowd  was  no  longer  upon  him. 

And  all  this  while  Jess  Maclean,  when  she  dared,  had  been 
stealing  an  occasional  and  covert  glance  at  the  school-master, 
17* 


394  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

fearing  that  he  had  already  divined  the  truth.  Well  she  knew 
that  the  fencing  of  lawyers  and  the  heckling  of  witnesses 
would  have  but  little  concern  for  him  ;  the  progress  of  the 
trial  would  be  for  him  no  mere  game  of  skill,  that  one  could 
watch  and  study,  with  a  calculation  of  the  chances  of  acquittal ; 
the  sole  and  terrible  question  for  him  was  whether  the  poor 
wretch  alone  there  in  the  dock  had  really  done  this  thing, 
bringing  upon  herself  all  its  tragic  and  illimitable  consequences. 
And  yet  Jess,  accustomed  as  she  was  to  read  his  features,  was 
now  completely  baffled.  His  face  was  immobile  and  impassive 
— sombre  a  little,  perhaps — and  unmistakably  oblivious  of  the 
people  around.  Even  the  proceedings  in  court,  as  they  went 
on,  seemed  to  claim  from  him  but  a  forced  and  mechanical 
sort  of  attention.  There  were  further  witnesses  to  be  exam- 
ined and  re-examined;  articles  found  in  the  house  of  the  ac- 
cused, and  alleged  to  have  been  stolen — the  red  sunshade  con- 
spicuous amongst  them — were  produced  and  identified  ;  there 
was  evidence  of  previous  good  character  ;  and  the  like.  But 
throughout  all  this  Allan  Henderson  remained  distraught  and 
absent-minded.  Was  lie  already  convinced?  Once  or  twice 
his  eyes  rested  on  the  solitary  figure  in  the  dock;  but  little 
was  to  be  seen  of  the  hapless  Barbara;  she  was  facing  the 
sheriff  —  her  head  downcast,  her  figure  drawn  together  as 
though  she  were  cowering  and  hiding  herself. 

Then  the  fiscal  got  up  and  addressed  the  Court  for  the 
prosecution — insisting  that  this  was  a  particularly  bad  case  : 
not  a  sudden  yielding  to  temptation,  but  part  of  a  planned 
and  systematic  purloining,  for  which  no  excuse  or  palliation 
hail  been  offered.  Next  came  Grant  the  solicitor  with  his 
reply  for  the  defence  —  rather  dwelling  on  the  youth  of  the 
prisoner,  her  position  as  an  almost  newly-married  wife,  and  the 
extreme  probability  that  she  had  been  terrified  into  making 
damaging  admissions  when  this  dreadful  charge  had  been 
brought  against  her.  Finally  the  sherilT  summed  up,  keeping 
mainly  to  tin:  legal  aspects  of  the  case.  And  then  fifteen 
good  men  and  true  filed  out  of  the  two  pine  benches,  and 
i  ither  sheepishly — for  they  were  unaccustomed  to  this  prom- 
inence and  publicity — crossed  the  hall,  and  betook  themselves 
to  the  jury  room. 

"Ah,  the    bonny    lads] — the   bonny  lads!"   exclaimed  Mrs. 


ARRAIGNED  395 

Maclean,  in  an  eager  and  tremulous  whisper — indeed,  she  was 
shaking  like  a  leaf — "they  will  put  her  right! — they  will  quit 
iny  lass! — after  all  the  stories  and  lies!" 

Allan  Henderson  had  not  turned  to  say  a  word  to  any  of  the 
friends  or  relatives  near  liiin ;  and  now,  in  this  period  of  wait- 
ing, his  eyes  were  bent  on  the  floor.  Even  Jess  did  not  dare 
to  approach  him  with  any  little  whisper  of  comfort  or  hope. 
The  jury  were  absent  for  only  a  few  minutes — not  over  ten. 

Then  they  came  back  ;  and  their  chancellor  remained  stand- 
ing. The  sheriff,  in  a  formal  kind  of  way,  asked  if  they  had 
come  to  a  decision. 

"  We  find  the  accused  guilty  of  the  charge  as  libelled,"  said 
the  chancellor — self-conscious  and  red  of  face. 

For  just  one  second  the  sheriff  glanced  towards  them  :  was 
there  to  be  no  recommendation  to  mercy?  There  was  none. 
The  fiscal  moved  the  Court  to  pronounce  sentence  ;  the  clerk  at 
the  table  pulled  his  papers  towards  him ;  the  sheriff,  after  a  few 
observations  uttered  in  the  same  dispassionate  tones,  announced 
that  the  sentence  of  the  Court  was  six  months'  imprisonment. 

"  My  lord  ! — my  lord  !  she's  an  orphan  lass  !"  cried  out  the 
widow,  as  she  sank  forward  half -fainting,  till  Jess  caught  her 
in  her  arms ;  and  at  this  moment  the  prisoner — her  head  still 
averted,  her  figure  apparently  lifeless  —  was  led  away  by  the 
two  policemen,  disappearing  through  the  door  leading  to  the 
exercise-yard  and  the  cells. 

And  now  some  were  for  going  home,  and  others  lingered 
to  talk  ;  but  the  school-master  found  himself  alone,  at  the  foot 
of  the  wide  stairs,  his  face  confronting  the  white  daylight. 
There  was  a  phrase  he  had  often  used  recurring  now  to  his 
brain  in  some  wild,  bewildering  fashion  :  "  The  poor  Natur- 
kind  !  The  poor  JVaturkind  that  she  has  always  been  !"  And 
on  his  features  there  was  no  stern  reprehension  at  all ;  nay,  as 
he  left  the  building  his  eyes  were  so  swimming  wet  that  he 
could  hardly  see  his  way.  Jess,  with  her  heart  full  of  yearning 
pity,  nevertheless  had  not  the  courage  to  follow  him.  She 
looked  after  him  as  he  went  aimlessly  along  by  the  harbor, 
in  the  direction  of  the  Gallows  Hill. 

44  Mother,"  said  she,  in  a  low  voice,  though  he  was  now  far 
out  of  hearing,  "  if — if  you  can  get  Allan  to  stay  in  our  house 
to-night,  I  will  go  with  Barbara  wherever  they  are  taking  her." 


CHAPTER  XLVII 

DAY    AND    NIGHT 

But  that  was  mad  and  wild  counsel — uttered  in  a  moment 
of  half-reckless  despair.  For  Jess  Maclean  knew  this  man ; 
not  for  nothing  had  she  watched  and  studied  him — him  and 
all  his  imperfections,  his  perversities,  his  scornful  endurance  of 
ills,  his  impatient  contempt  of  meaner  natures;  and  she  herself 
had  foretold  where,  in  such  a  crisis  as  had  now  arrived,  Allan 
Henderson  would  be  found.  "There  is  but  the  one  place  for 
your  husband  to  be,"  she  had  said  to  Barbara,  "and  that  is  by 
your  side."  And  when  she  learned  from  the  police  officials 
that  the  prisoner  was  to  be  taken  through  to  Glasgow  on  this 
same  afternoon,  she  went  along  at  the  appointed  hour  to  the 
railway  station,  knowing  well  whom  she  should  find  waiting  there. 

He  was  on  the  platform,  alone  and  unnoticed  among  the 
scattered  crowd  of  folk  bidding  good-bye  to  their  friends.  And 
fortunate  it  was  that  these  people  were  so  busily  occupied  ;  for 
at  this  moment  Barbara — Barbara,  all  broken  down  in  appear- 
ance, listless,  hopeless,  the  beautiful  eyes  tired  and  worn  with 
excess  of  weeping,  and  now  only  haunted  with  a  sort  of  cower- 
ing and  shuddering  horror  of  these  groups  of  strangers — Bar- 
bara came  along  in  charge  of  a  constable,  the  two  of  them  at- 
tracting far  less  attention  than  might  have  been  expected.  The 
officer  opened  the  door  of  a  third-class  compartment;  Barbara 
entered,  and  sank  into  a  seat;  while  Jess  Maclean  and  Allan 
instinctively  moved  up,  as  if  to  prevent  the  approach  of  any 
curious  person.  For  a  second  or  two  no  one  spoke;  but  all 
the  same  Jess  made  bold  to  put  her  hand  into  the  carriage,  and 
with  that  hand  she  held  Barbara's  hand;  the  law  could  not — 
or,  at,  least,  did  not — forbid  this  form  of  communication.  And 
then  Barbara  said,  with  a  timid  look  towards  the  constable: 

".less,  if  you  would — if  yon  would  ask  this  gentleman — 
maybe  he  would  let  you  come  in  beside  me — " 


DAY    AND    NIGHT  39*7 

The  gentleman — who  was  not  a  gentleman  at  all — not  even 
an  inspector — nor  }'et  a  sergeant — but  just  a  decent  and  simple 
lad  from  Mull,  who  did  not  quite  appear  to  relish  these  duties 
that  had  devolved  upon  him — the  ingenuous-looking  constable 
— took  no  notice  of  this  hint.  And  meanwhile  Jess  had  to  in- 
terpose with  an  explanation. 

"  I  cannot  go  to  Glasgow  with  you,  Barbara,"  said  she.  "  I 
was  ready  and  willing — indeed,  yes ;  but  my  mother  is  taken 
very  ill ;  and  I  dare  not  leave  her  for  so  long.  But  Allan  is 
going  with  you,  Barbara.  Who  else?  Who  else  would  you 
be  wishing  to  have  with  you? — who  else  could  protect  you  as 
well  ?— " 

A  strange  look  of  dread  or  doom  seemed  to  settle  on  the 
girl's  face;  she  did  not  venture  a  single  half-frightened  glance 
towards  her  husband;  when  she  heard  that  Jess  was  not  going 
with  her,  she  appeared  to  care  for  nothing  after  that ;  a  kind 
of  blankness  of  despair  took  possession  of  her.  And  Jess  could 
not  part  with  her  in  this  mood. 

"Barbara,"  said  she,  with  a  fine  affectation  of  confidence 
and  good-humor,  though  her  lips  were  inclined  to  be  tremulous 
despite  all  she  could  do,  "you  must  be  remembering  this:  that 
when  you  come  back  to  us,  you  will  be  just  the  same  as  the 
rest  of  us.  The  law  has  decided  against  you,  and  it  may  be 
right,  or  it  may  be  wrong  ;  but  anyway,  when  you  have  done 
what  they  require  of  you,  then  you  are  free,  you  are  quits — you 
are  just  like  every  one  else.  And  you  will  let  me  know  how 
often  I  can  write  to  you,  and  you  will  write  to  us  as  often  as 
you  can.  And  you  will  tell  us  when  we  are  to  come  for  you 
— to  bring  you  back — " 

Barbara  shook  her  head — without  a  word. 

"  Take  your  seats,  please,"  called  the  guard  ;  and  as  he  came 
up,  Allan  Henderson  stepped  forward,  and  without  asking  per- 
mission of  any  one,  entered  the  carriage,  passed  to  the  farther 
end,  and  sat  down  by  the  window.  Then  the  door  was  shut, 
the  whistles  sounded,  and  the  train  began  to  creep  out  of  the 
station.  Jess  walked  a  few  farewell  yards  along  the  platform  ; 
it  was  she  who  was  crying  and  sobbing  now — in  spite  of  her- 
self;  Barbara  seemed  lost  in  a  misery  and  gloom  that  had  ar- 
rived almost  at  indifference.  Finally,  Jess,  having  watched  the 
carriage  window  till  the  very  last  moment,  turned  and  took  her 


398  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

way  slowly  home,  while   the    train  thundered  on  towards  the 

south. 

And  now  «w  and  siint/  was  the  liujht 

Tliat  wan  atween  thir  twae' ;" 

for  although  no  compact  had  heen  entered  into  by  which  Allan 
had  gained  admission  into  this  compartment,  there  was  some 
tacit  kind  of  feeling  that  in  the  presence  of  the  constable  these 
two  must  needs  regard  each  other  as  strangers.  Perhaps  Bar- 
bara was  so  far  glad  and  relieved  ;  perhaps  she  had  some  secret 
dread  of  indignation  and  reproach,  though  there  was  little  of 
cither  in  Allan  Henderson's  heart.  Nay,  he  was  full  of  sym- 
pathy and  commiseration  for  "the  poor  Naturkind  and  her 
downcast  condition  ;  it  may  be  that  he  understood  her  tragic 
case  far  more  clearly  than  she  did  herself;  more  clearly  than 
she  did,  without  doubt,  he  perceived  the  web  of  circumstance 
by  which  she  had  been  surrounded  and  brought  to  ruin.  Re- 
sentment, reprobation —  as  if  he  had  been  the  wronged  person 
— was  indeed  far  away  from  his  mind.  He  remained  silent,  it 
is  true;  but  he  was  tremblingly  sensitive  to  each  slight  motion 
of  her  costume,  to  each  labored  and  weary  sigh,  to  each  shift- 
ing from  one  shoulder  to  the  other,  as  if  she  were  ill  and  ill  at 
case.  He  pitied  her  even  for  her  dress,  for  Barbara  had  al- 
ways liked  something  of  ornament  and  show  ;  but  now  it  was 
only  too  evident  that  in  the  abandonment  of  her  grief  and  ter- 
ror she  had  had  no  thought  for  any  such  trivialities.  Perhaps 
Jess  might  have  looked  after  her  had  there  been  the  oppor- 
tunity. The  splendid  folds  of  her  raven-black  hair  had  been 
put  back  in  some  rude  kind  of  fashion  ;  but  now  there  were 
none  of  the  coquettish  tangles  and  twirls  she  had  been  fond  of 
displaying  about  her  ears.  She  wore  no  gloves,  nor  any  dainty 
white  cuffs  about  her  wrists,  nor  any  slip  of  silk  tartan  ribbon 
round  her  throat — this  poor  Naturkind^  who  had  been  so  se- 
verely buffeted  and  shipwrecked  by  the  wild  storms  of  human 
chance. 

As  the  evening  wore  on,  and  they  were  up  among  the  lonely 
mountains  beyond  Crianlaricb,  a  somewhat  chill  wind  blew  in 
and  through  the  compartment,  and  Barbara  was  Beated  with 
her  face  to  the  engine.  Allan  rose,  stepped  across,  and  pulled 
up  the  window,  so  as  to  afford  her  shelter. 


DAY    AND    NIGHT  399 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice — without  raising  her 
eyes. 

Again,  when  they  got  down  to  Stirling  station,  he  sought 
out  the  refreshment-room,  had  a  couple  of  paper  bags  filled 
with  sweet  biscuits  and  the  like,  and  when  he  returned  he 
mutely  tendered  them  to  her.  She  took  them,  with  another 
word  of  thanks ;  though  not  even  now  did  she  dare  to  raise  her 
eyes  to  his.  And  thus  they  resumed  their  journey  to  Glasgow, 
and  to  the  great  and  sombre  building  that  stands  by  the  river. 

But  in  the  meantime  Barbara  had  not  failed  to  notice  that 
when  the  constable  happened  to  recognize  an  acquaintance  at 
any  of  the  stations  along  the  line,  the  few  words  that  passed 
between  them  were  usually  in  Gaelic;  and  accordingly,  when 
she  at  length  ventured  to  address  a  hesitating  question  or  two 
to  him,  on  their  drawing  near  to  Glasgow,  it  was  in  that  tongue 
she  spoke,  so  as  perhaps  to  win  a  little  favor  and  friendliness. 
And  it  was  still  in  Gaelic  that  she  said,  in  a  diffident  undertone 
that  Allan  could  not  well  overhear : 

"  My  husband  has  come  a  long  way.  Will  you  be  giving 
me  a  moment  that  I  can  say  good-bye  to  him  ?" 

"  Do  you  mean  at  the  station  ?"  responded  the  constable. 

"It  is  wherever  you  please,  sir,"  said  Barbara,  humbly.  "I 
am  not  wishing  for  anything  that  is  not  permitted — but — but 
my  husband,  he  has  come  a  long  way." 

"Oh,  very  well,"  said  the  good-natured  young  officer. 
"  When  we  get  to  the  station,  I  will  try  to  leave  you  by  your- 
selves for  a  minute,  just  where  you  are,  but  no  more  than  a 
minute,  for  there  will  be  a  cab  to  take  you  on  to  the  jail." 

And  he  was  as  good  as  his  word.  When  the  train  had 
passed  the  ticket-platform,  had  slowed  in  to  the  terminus,  and 
finally  come  to  a  stand-still,  the  constable  opened  the  door, 
stepped  out,  and  remained  there  with  his  back  to  the  carriage. 
At  the  same  moment  Allan  rose  to  his  feet,  and  Barbara  rose 
also;  but  she  did  not  look  up  to  see  the  extraordinary  compas- 
sion that  dwelt  in  his  eyes;  she  rather  stood  before  him  as  a 
culprit  and  penitent,  ready  to  receive  whatever  scorn  and  chas- 
tisement of  words  he  chose  to  heap  upon  her.  And  yet — no 
matter  what  might  be  his  indignation  and  contumely — she  had 
so  many  things  she  longed  to  say,  and  all  of  them  struggling 
for  utterance!     Her  chest  heaved;  she  seemed  to  breathe  with 


400  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

difficulty;  her  bands,  down  by  her  sides,  were  firmly  clinched. 
She  was  waiting.     Why  did  he  not  strike? 

"Poor  lass!  poor  lass!"  said  he;  and  the  mere  tone  of  his 
voice,  so  unexpected,  so  unmistakable  in  its  true  ring  of  solici- 
tude and  tenderness,  caused  her  whole  frame  to  tremble ;  "  I 
suppose  I  can  go  no  farther  with  you  now — " 

"  Allan,  Allan,"  she  burst  out  in  a  sort  of  wild  way,  "  I 
am  not  hoping  that  you  will  ever  forgive  me  for  what  I  have 
done!  Oh  no! — no,  no! — I  do  not  expect  it — I  have  brought 
nothing  but  harm  to  you — I  have  been  a  bad  wife  to  you — I 
have  brought  nothing  but  harm  and  shame.  But  now — now 
you  will  go  away  back  to  your  home;  and  you  will  soon  for- 
get me;  and  I  will  never  seek  to  see  Duntroone  any  more — 
never,  never — I  have  done  enough  harm — I  will  never  see  you 
or  any  of  them  any  more — it  is  all  that  I  can  do  now — " 

"Barbara,"  said  he,  gently  and  gravely,  "  you  are  talking 
foolishness.  Do  you  remember  the  last  words  that  Jessie 
spoke  to  you  on  the  platform  ?  She  said  that  when  you  came 
back  to  us  you  would  be  just  as  one  of  ourselves — quit  and  free 
of  everything  that  had  gone  by,  and  all  of  us  only  anxious 
that  it  should  be  forgotten — " 

"Ah,  no,  no!"  she  broke  in  upon  him,  quite  incoherently. 
"That  is  all  away.  I  will  never  trouble  you  any  more — I  have 
done  too  much  harm.  And  there's  other  things  I  would  say 
— but — but  only  a  moment  now  ;  and  it's  my  thanks  to  you 
for  your  goodness  to  me,  and  that  you  have  not  cursed  at  me, 
as  many  a  one  would  have  done.  Indeed,  indeed  you  have 
been  kind  t<>  me;  and  I  was  not  deserving  it  ;  there  was  many 
things  happening  that  you  did  not  know  about,  and  there  was 
never  any  hard  word  from  you.  And  now  you  will  go  away 
to  your  home,  and  Jessie  will  look  after  the  house  for  you ; 
she  was  always  a  better  friend  to  you  than  I  was — " 

The  constable  turned  and  looked  into  the  compartment;  the 
rah  was  wailing  at  the  platform. 

"  Mv  poor  lass,"  said  the  school-master,  trying  to  smooth 
bark  her  disordered  hair  into  some  semblance  of  its  former 
neatness,  "you  will  soon  begin  to  think  of  the  days  of  your 
coming  back  to  us — " 

"  Ah,  never,  never,"  she  cried,  in  panting  accents;  "it  is  the 
one  thing   I    can   do,  never  to  trouble  you   any  more — neither 


DAY    AND    NIGHT  401 

you  nor  any  of  them — I  have  brought  too  much  harm  and 
shame — " 

The  young  constable,  irresolute,  anxious,  a  little  shame- 
faced, opened  the  door  wide. 

"Will  you  be  coming  now,  mem?"  said  he. 

By  this  time  most  of  the  travellers  had  left  the  platform ; 
when  those  two  crossed  to  the  vehicle  that  was  in  attendance, 
there  was  hardly  any  one  about  to  witness  their  last  and  mute 
farewell.  And  then  Barbara  was  driven  away  ;  and  the  school- 
master, not  knowing  what  his  next  step  should  be,  found  him- 
self a  solitary  stranger  in  this  great  and  friendless  town. 

Yet  not  quite  friendless  either.  More  than  once,  during  all 
the  recent  whirl  of  experiences  and  emotions,  a  wandering 
thought  or  two  had  involuntarily  fled  away  towards  the  sick- 
chamber  of  Alec  MacNiel ;  and  now,  in  this  strange  succeeding 
calm  and  isolation,  it  was  but  natural  he  should  wish  to  look 
once  again  on  the  face  of  his  old  comrade.  Not  that  he  pro- 
posed to  carry  the  tale  of  his  own  wounds  and  sorrows  to  the 
invalid's  room  ;  these  were  for  his  private  hours  of  reverie  and 
renunciation  ;  but  there  would  be  some  kind  of  solace  in  merely 
sitting  by  the  side  of  his  friend;  it  was,  moreover,  a  duty  he 
owed — if  any  companionship  of  his  could  lighten  a  weary  half- 
hour.  And  so,  in  a  dull  and  mechanical  fashion,  he  betook 
himself  away  through  the  wet  and  gaslit  streets;  and  eventu- 
ally reached  the  building  in  Garscube  Road,  at  the  top  of  which 
MacNiel  had  his  poor  lodging. 

It  was  now  late ;  and,  as  he  ascended  to  the  highest  story, 
he  passed  noiselessly  up  the  staircase,  lest  the  sick  man  should 
have  already  got  to  sleep.  Not  a  sound  was  audible  anywhere. 
With  the  same  cautious  footsteps  he  arrived  at  the  landing, 
which  was  quite  dark;  and  then  he  stealthily  approached  the 
door,  and  listened.  No ;  not  a  sound.  Nevertheless,  he  lin- 
gered;  for  MacNiel  might  be  reading;  and  at  any  minute  he 
might  put  down  the  book,  and  call  to  the  attendant  grand- 
mother. Nay,  the  longer  Allan  Henderson  tarried  here  in  the 
darkness,  the  more  did  he  seem  to  crave  for  a  friendly  word 
and  glance,  if  only  as  a  reminiscence  of  the  far-bygone,  half- 
happy  student  times.  He  would  bring  with  him  no  useless 
tidings  of  his  own  broken  and  shattered  life.  Rather  his  talk 
would  be — if  his  old  companion  were  still  awake,  and  inclined 


402  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

to  hear — his  talk  would  be  of  cheerful  things  —  of  Cathkin 
Braes  and  May  mornings,  of  eager  and  joyous  rambles  by 
Bothwell  Banks  and  Cadzow  and  Stonebyres.  They  would 
recall  the  early  woods  —  the  resonant  "Gaudeamtis"  of  the 
tramping  chorus — the  breakfast  in  the  remote  little  way-side 
public-house.  These  were  the  proper  pictures  for  any  poor 
tired  soul  to  fall  asleep  with,  so  that  a  scent  of  hawthorn-bushes 
and  a  murmur  of  distant  water-falls  should  come  stealing 
through  the  vagrant  dreams  of  the  night. 

Of  a  sudden  he  was  startled  by  a  low  moaning;  hushed  and 
faint  it  was,  and  yet  the  silence  around  was  so  intense  that  he 
could  not  be  mistaken.  It  was  the  old  grandmother's  voice; 
it  was  a  kind  of  plaintive  wail  she  uttered  :  "  och-hon  ! — och-hon  ! 
— och-hon  !"  repeated  in  despairing  tones;  and  then  came  silence 
again.  He  knew  not  what  was  happening,  or  what  had  hap- 
pened, within  ;  but  he  dared  not  go  away.  He  tapped  lightly 
with  the  back  of  his  hand.  There  was  no  answer.  He  rapped 
a  second  time,  and  waited.  Presently  the  door  was  opened, 
and  the  old  grandmother  peered  out  into  the  gloom. 

"  Ah,  yes,"  she  said,  with  a  heavy  sigh,  when  she  had  dis- 
covered who  her  visitor  was,  "  you  were  the  last  that  he  was 
speaking  of,  the  poor  lad  ! — and  the  last  of  his  friends  that 
came  to  sec  him."  She  retreated  a  little  space,  as  if  inviting 
him  to  enter.  "There  is  but  a  sorrowful  welcome  in  the  house 
now;  but  maybe  you  would  like  to  look  on  all  that  is  left  of 
my  poor  boy.  Yes,  he  was  speaking  of  you  to  the  end — and 
there  are  some  books  for  you — and  a  fishing-rod — to  the  very 
end  he  was  speaking  of  you — " 

The  school-master  removed  his  cap,  and  passed  in. 

"  When  did  it  happen?"  he  said — in  a  needless  whisper. 

"This  morning,"  she  made  answer,  "just  as  the  day  was 
coming  in  at  the  window." 

Then  she  led  him  to  the  small,  dimly-lit  room  where  the 
dead  man  lav,  peaceful  enough  now,  after  the  long  struggle  with 
his  insidious  and  merciless  enemy. 

"  And  is  there  no  one  in  the  house  with  you?"  he  asked  of 
her,  in  a  Utile  while. 

"  None.       But  the  neighbors  have  been  very  kind.'" 

"Grandmother,"  said  he,  "I  will  stay  a  while  with  you,  if 
yon  will  let  me;   I  will  stay  with  you  until  you  tell,  me  to  go. 


DAY    AND    NIGHT  403 

I  am  rather  lonely  myself  to-night.  And  I  would  like  to  hear 
what  he  was  thinking  of,  what  he  was  talking  of,  when  it  came 
near  to  the  last." 

So  she  softly  shut  the  door  behind  them,  and  preceded  him 
into  the  kitchen,  where  the  turned-up  gas  was  burning  a  little 
more  cheerfully.  She  took  her  chair  near  the  fireplace;  she 
put  on  her  spectacles  again  ;  and  made  as  though  she  would 
have  resumed  her  sewing,  but  that  the  interest  of  the  pathetic 
monologue  she  now  entered  upon,  interrupted  as  it  was  by 
many  a  covert  fit  of  crying,  caused  her  to  desist.  For  these 
were  not  merely  death-bed  reminiscences  that  led  her  garrulity 
to  wander  on  through  the  dead  hours  of  the  night.  This 
grandson  of  hers  had  been  during  his  too  brief  life  her  best- 
beloved  ;  and  she  had  treasured  up  a  minute  recollection  of  all 
the  wonderful  things  that  had  happened  to  him  :  his  childish 
exploits — his  leaving  Colonsay — his  successes  at  school  and  col- 
lege—  the  kindness  of  the  manufacturer  in  whose  warehouse 
he  had  secured  a  situation  as  book-keeper.  It  was  with  pride 
as  well  as  affection  that  she  rambled  on ;  this  was  a  marvellous 
career,  she  seemed  to  say,  that  had  been  so  pitilessly  cut  short; 
mournful  as  the  disconnected  narrative  was,  it  had  its  brighter 
glimpses  ;  and  perhaps  for  an  occasional  minute  or  two  Allan  for- 
got to  think  of  the  dark  and  ominous  building  away  down  at  the 
other  end  of  the  city,  near  to  the  dim  river.  Nay,  it  was  some- 
thing to  have  the  companionship  of  this  poor  old  creature,  even 
here  in  the  silent  house  of  death.  And  she,  too,  appeared  to  be 
grateful  to  him  for  remaining  with  her — as  she  talked  on,  in  this 
bushed  fashion,  broken  by  many  sobs  and  piteous  ejaculations. 

At  last  he  rose  to  go,  after  having  made  patient  inquiries  as 
to  her  circumstances,  her  plans,  and  her  remaining  relatives. 
When  he  got  outside,  he  found  that  the  world  had  undergone 
transfiguration  ;  the  new  dawn  was  abroad,  pale  over  the  mov- 
ing canopy  of  smoke  in  the  east;  the  gray  houses  near  him 
were  waking  out  of  their  dream.  At  such  an  hour  he  did  not 
care  to  go  in  search  of  a  lodging;  moreover,  the  rain  of  the 
night  had  ceased;  soon  the  morning  would  be  shining  fair  and 
wide  and  clear.  And  so — perhaps  with  some  vague  and  rest- 
less desire  to  escape  from  the  black  shadows  that  appeared  to 
be  encompassing  him — he  struck  away  out  into  the  country  : 
everywhere  the  white  daylight  was  now  beginning  to  tell. 


CHAPTER   XLYIII 


He  was  returning,  heart-sick  and  tired  and  hopeless,  from 
his  long  and  fortuitous  ramble,  and  he  was  coming  in  by  way 
of  the  Botanic  Gardens,  when  he  chanced  to  perceive,  leaving  a 
house  on  the  other  side  of  the  thoroughfare,  a  well-known  and 
easily-recognized  figure.  It  was  Professor  Menzies.  And  he 
would  fain  have  slunk  by  unnoticed;  he  was  in  no  humor  for 
talking  to  any  one;  still  less  did  he  wish  to  be  cross-examined 
about  what  had  recently  happened  to  him  or  his.  But  the 
next  minute  lie  heard  himself  called  by  name;  he  became 
aware  of  overtaking  strides;  and  presently,  the  professor — a 
big,  bulky,  fresh -complexioUed,  eupeptic-looking  man  —  had 
him  by  the  shoulder. 

"What — what's  this?"  he  exclaimed,  in  a  hale  and  hearty 
voice.  "Not  running  away,  are  you  ?  Why,  it  was  only  yes- 
terday I  was  thinking  of  you,  and  wondering  how  you  were 
getting  on  in  Duntroone.  And  what's  brought  you  to  Glas- 
gow  ?     I'm  going  as  far  as  Garnet  Hill — I'll  walk  with  you." 

And  so  Allan — not  unmindful  of  many  kindnesses  and  con- 
fidences— was  constrained  to  tell  his  story,  down  even  to  the 
sombre  experiences  of  the  day  before. 

"A  terrible  bad  business,"  said  the  professor,  after  a  moment 
or  two.  "Terrible — terrible.  And  what  are  your  plans  now? 
Are  you  going  back  to  Duntroone?" 

"  As  soon  as  I  get  poor  MacNicl  buried." 

"  Your  return  home  will  not  be  a  very  cheerful  thing,"  was 
the  next,  vague    uggesl  ion. 

"  I  shall  have  plenty  to  do,"  Allan  responded,  "  when  the 
BCbool  opetis;  and  there  will  be  my  own  classes  in  the 
evening." 

The  two  walked  on  for  some  little  time  in  silence. 

"How   I  came  to  be  thinking  of  you  yesterday  was  this," 


PAULINE  405 

the  professor  said,  at  length.  "  I  was  thinking  you  knew  little 
of  the  mischief  you  had  done  by  refusing  the  offer  of  the 
Cairds — you  remember?" 

"Remember?  Yes,  indeed!  And  many's  the  time  I've 
thought  that  I  never  half  expressed  my  thanks  to  you." 

"You  appeared  unwilling  to  give  up  your  pupils.  But  I 
could  have  provided  you  with  a  substitute — I  imagine  so ;  and 
you  may  be  pretty  certain  that  the  Cairds  of  Carsehill  would 
not  have  let  you  suffer  in  pocket  through  the  transaction. 
Well,  what  happens  through  your  refusal?  The  lad,  whimsi- 
cal as  he  may  be,  was  half-inclined  to  go  ;  he  had  heard  some- 
thing about  you  ;  and  after  all,  he  is  amenable  enough — though 
those  tearing,  hunting,  horse-racing  uncles  of  his  seem  to  look 
en  him  as  a  sort  of  changeling.  You  refuse — and  what  is  the 
result?  He  returns  to  his  idling,  his  verse-making,  his  news- 
paper-scribbling ;  spends  most  of  his  time  at  the  Nike-aptcros 
Club — among  artists,  journalists,  and  the  like  ;  and  at  last — 
this  is  the  climax — falls  in  love  with  an  actress — some  mem- 
ber of  a  strolling  company — and  declares  his  intention  of 
marrying  her.     What  do  you  think  of  that,  now  ?" 

"  If  he  was  of  the  mind  and  temperament  to  fall  in  love  with 
an  actress,"  rejoined  the  school-master,  "he  would  have  done 
that  as  readily  in  any  town  of  Austria  or  Italy  as  in  any  city 
or  town  of  Scotland." 

"  Well,  no — not  necessarily.  For  there  is  a  certain  barrier 
in  language.  And  he  knows  a  good  deal  more  of  Greek  and 
Latin  than  he  does  of  German  or  Italian." 

"There  is  another  language,"  Allan  said. 

"Yes.  There  may  be,  when  two  combustible  souls  happen 
to  catch  fire  at  once.  But  that  doesn't  occur  often,  does  it? 
However,  I've  shown  you  how  we  stand  at  present;  and  what 
are  the  tearing,  swearing,  blustering  iron-masters  of  Carsehill 
to  make  of  it  ?  He  is  so  sweetly  reasonable  through  it  all ! 
They  talk  of  the  disgrace  of  the  family,  while  he  is  polishing 
pretty  verses  about  her  brown  ringlets." 

"  Is  she  a  respectable  girl  ?" 

"Apparently  she  is — at  least,  they  can't  find  out  anything 
to  the  contrary  ;  and  if  they  did,  or  fancied  they  did,  no  doubt 
he  would  only  smile  at  them  in  disdain.  For,  as  I  say,  the 
scamp  is  not  unreasonable,  even  in  the  midst  of  his  folly.     He 


406  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

is  open  to  argument.  In  fact,  there  lias  been  some  revival  of 
that  same  project  that  he  should  go  abroad  for  a  considerable 
time — with  the  chance  of  all  this  blowing  over — with  several 
chances  indeed  ;  and  I  am  told  he  is  not  afraid  to  put  the 
young  lady's  constancy,  and  his  own,  to  the  test.  If  he  were 
challenged,  he  would  probably  consent;  but  the  old  difficulty 
remains — how  to  secure  a  proper  companion  for  him.  He  is 
capricious  in  his  fancies.  The  ordinary  young  men  of  his  own 
age,  and  all  their  pursuits,  he  regards  with  detestation.  He 
might  have  done  well  at  college,  for  the  rascal  is  clever;  but 
he  is  without  sufficient  aim — too  erratic  for  any  steady  work — 
would  rather  put  a  handful  of  rhymes  in  his  pocket,  walk  away 
out  into  the  country,  sit  down  by  the  way-side,  and  tinker  at 
them.  Hardly  the  kind  of  fellow  to  attack  a  translation  of 
the  Nibelungenlied,  cli  ? — by-thc-bye,  I  should  have  asked  how 
you  were  getting  on." 

"I  have  been  thinking  of  other  things  of  late,"  said  the 
school-master. 

The  big,  stalwart,  friendly  professor  suddenly  halted — as 
if  the  better  to  arrest  attention. 

"Look  here,  Henderson,"  said  he.  "  The  Cairds  have  come 
to  me  several  times  about  this  affair — they  know  I  can  talk  to 
the  youth  with  some  chance  of  being  listened  to,  whereas  they 
belong  to  a  different  world  altogether.  Now,  suppose  this 
former  scheme  were  to  be  revived.  I  don't  at  all  like  the  idea 
of  your  going  away  back  home  to  your  ordinary  life,  in  the 
present  circumstances.  You  want  a  complete  change  of  scene 
and  occupation  ;  you  want  to  forget  a  little — in  order  to  re- 
cover your  mental  tone.  Very  well.  Assuming  that  the  uncles 
and  young  Caird  could  come  to  some  agreement,  would  you 
he  willing  to  go  with  hiin  on  his  period  of  probation — that,  is, 
if  you  and  he  found  that  you  got  on  well  together?  It  would 
mean  the  giving  up  of  your  place  in  the  school,  and  also  get- 
ting a  substitute  to  take  your  classes;  but  the  Carsehill  squires 
would  he  liberal  in  such  a  case;  and  the  young  fellow,  he  is 
really  good-natured, -he  would  see  it  was  made  worth  your 
while.      A  couple  of  years'  absence  from  England — " 

"I  should  have  to  be  back  in  this  town  six  months  from 
now,"  said  Allan,  simply. 

The  professor  colored  slightly  ;  he  understood. 


PAULINE  407 

"  But  even  six  months,"  said  he,  as  they  resinned  their  walk, 
"is  a  long  time,  and  many  things  happen  in  it;  six  months 
might  find  Caird  junior  restored  to  his  sane  and  sober  senses; 
and,  in  any  case,  six  months'  absence  from  England  would  be  a 
wholesome  thing  for  you.  Now  I  don't  want  you  to  make 
any  definite  promise ;  but  come  and  see  this  young  fellow — see 
what  you  think  of  him.  I  may  be  too  busy  to  hunt  him  up 
to-day ;  but  in  that  case  I  will  write  to  him,  and  to-morrow 
you  and  I  could  call  on  him  in  the  afternoon.  Is  it  a  bargain  ? 
I  might  run  across  some  of  his  people  meanwhile — who  knows? 
Turn  it  over  in  your  mind,  now — and  don't  be  in  a  hurry  ;  and 
if  you  think  well  of  the  scheme,  send  me  a  note  saying  where 
I  shall  find  you  to-morrow  afternoon  at  four." 

Allan  did  not  refuse — could  not  think  of  refusing;  clearly 
enough  he  recognized  all  the  kindliness,  the  good-will,  and 
thoughtfulness  that  underlay  this  apparently  rough-and-ready 
proposal.  And  accordingly,  on  the  next  afternoon,  Professor 
Mcnzies  and  his  protege  found  themselves  being  shown  into  a 
suite  of  rooms  on  the  first  floor  of  a  house  in  Sauchiehall  Street. 
They  were  smartly -furnished  rooms;  but  the  decoration  was 
not  as  the  decoration  of  many  young  men's  apartments. 
Tliere  were  no  fencing-foils,  masks,  or  dumb-bells,  with  hunting 
and  yatchting  trophies,  and  colored  lithographs  representing 
famous  exploits  on  Epsom  Downs  ;  a  gentler  tone  prevailed ; 
around  the  walls,  and  in  one  or  two  small  cabinets,  and  on  the 
mantel-shelves,  were  displayed  llispano-Moresque  dishes.  Tan- 
agra  figures,  squares  of  Italian  sixteenth  -  century  embroidery 
framed  and  glazed,  bronze  statuettes,  a  number  of  landscapes, 
chiefly  of  the  Scotch  school,  and  a  series  of  .prints  from  the 
Liber  Studiornm.  The  owner  of  these  various  possessions  now 
entered — a  young  lad  of  nineteen  or  twenty,  rather  under  mid- 
dle height,  and  distinctly  lame  in  one  leg ;  the  face  and  head 
intelligent  and  interesting,  the  complexion  pale,  the  mouth 
finely  formed,  the  eyes  large,  clear,  and  amiable.  His  manners, 
too,  were  winning;  he  bade  his  visitors  welcome  with  an  off- 
hand simplicity  ;  and  again  and  again  he  regarded  Allan  with 
a  scrutinizing  glance  that  seemed  frankly  to  say,  "  So,  it  is  you 
they  want  me  to  go  travelling  with,  for  six  months,  or  a  year, 
or  two  years?"  On  the  other  hand,  the  school-master — as  he 
subsequently  wrote  to  Jess — formed  from  the  very  first  a  liking 


408  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

for  this  lame  lad.  lie  was  a  trifle  shy,  perhaps,  and  yet  some- 
how defiant  in  his  shyness.  He  appeared  to  treat  his  horse- 
racing  uncles  with  more  than  a  suspicion  of  gentle  ridicule. 
He  even  ventured  upon  a  little  banter  with  regard  to  the  pro- 
fessor, which  was  taken  in  good  part.  x\.nd  he  was  especially 
courteous  and  civil  to  his  stranger-guest,  and  said  some  very 
pretty  things  about  the  West  Highlands  and  the  folk  living 
there. 

But  it  had  been  the  design  of  Professor  Menzies  to  leave 
these  two  to  themselves;  and  so,  pleading  an  engagement,  he 
left;  while  young  Caird,  having  persuaded  Allan  to  remain, 
proceeded  to  talk  about  himself,  and  his  circumstances,  and  this 
projected  trip,  with  the  most  engaging  and  useful  candor.  He 
was  not  averse  from  going,  he  said,  if  it  would  pacify  his  rela- 
tives; though  their  ideas,  he  added,  with  a  smile,  as  to  what 
would  accrue  from  this  long  absence,  were  purely  chimerical. 
And  if,  on  his  side,  Mr.  Henderson  could  be  induced  to  join, 
what  countries  in  Europe  would  he  chiefly  wish  to  visit? 

At  this  Allan's  eyes  flashed  up  in  eager  flame. 

"There  is  the  one  place — the  one  place  in  all  the  world — 
Athens!" 

And  then  he  shrank  back  upon  himself,  as  it  were,  half  in 
shame. 

"  I  1>CS  your  pardon,"  he  said,  quite  humbly.  "  I  was  bewil- 
dered for  a  moment.  The  mere  mention  of  Athens  shows  me 
that  it  is  not  for  me  to  go  with  you  on  such  a  journey  as  you  arc 
thinking  of.  No,  no.  You  must  have  somebody  with  you  far 
less  ignorant  than  I  am.  What  could  I  tell  you  at  Athena,  at 
Nauplia,  at  Aero-Corinth  ?  You  must  have  somebody  skilled 
and  learned.  They  arc  the  most  interesting  places  in  the 
world  ;  and  what  could  a  country  school-master  tell  you  ?" 

The  young  lad  had  been  looking  at  him — not  with  disfavor. 

"  I  don't  want  anybody  to  tell  me  anything,"  said  he.  "  I 
should  like  to  sec  the  places,  no  doubt;  but  1  am  not  anxious 
to  be  lectured.  Not  in  the  least.  If  I  have  to  do  penance — 
or  go  'in  probation — if  that  is  their  insane  idea — it  has  got  to 
be  made  easy.  The  pease  must  be  boiled.  Do  you  know  any 
modern  Greek  f" 

"  Not  to  speak  it,  anyway." 

"  Well,  we  can  be  cheated  in  some  other  language,"  contin 


PAULINE      -  409 

ued  the  young  man,  placidly.  "I  want  some  Rhodian  plates, 
and  I  am  told  there  are  a  few  to  be  picked  up  in  Athens  now 
and  again."  He  had  limped  over  to  the  mantel-shelves,  appar- 
ently to  have  another  loving  look  at  the  row  of  splendid  red- 
lustre  dishes ;  but  presently  he  returned,  with  a  little  brown 
paper-covered  book — an  acting  edition — in  his  hand.  "  By-the- 
way,"  he  said,  "  have  you  ever  seen  '  The  Lady  of  Lyons'  ?" 

"  No,  but  I  have  read  the  play." 

"  And  what  did  you  think  of  it  ?" 

"Trash,  it  seemed  to  me,"  was  the  straight  answer. 

Young  Caird  winced  a  little. 

"  Yes — perhaps — from  the  point  of  view  of  literature.  But 
the  language  of  the  stage  must  necessarily  be  conventional ;  it 
is  a  condensation,  and  it  has  to  be  made  effective.  And  it 
doesn't  much  matter,  does  it,  how  artificial  the  dialogue  may 
be,  so  long  as  you  are  impressed  by  the  characters — " 

"  And  find  them  admirable,  or  lovable,  or  even  believable  and 
interesting.  But  look  at  that  fellow,"  said  the  school-master, 
regarding  the  harmless  little  brown  book  with  unnecessary 
scorn — "  look  at  that  cowardly  cur,  who  howls  and  shrieks  for 
revenge  simply,  because  a  young  woman  has  rejected  his  imper- 
tinent advances.  Isn't  that  the  right  of  every  young  woman, 
whether  she  is  rich  or  poor?  But  this  mouthing  fellow,  with 
his  turgid  blank-verse,  when  she  sends  him  back  his  rubbish  of 
verses,  has  all  his  outraged  vanity  set  on  fire — he  will  stop  her 
in  the  open  streets — he  will  publicly  insult  her — he  will  de- 
scend to  any  meanness  and  trickery  in  order  to  humiliate  her 
— he  will  conspire  with  her  enemies — anything — so  that  his 
own  stupendous  egotism  and  self-love  may  be  solaced  and 
avenged —  Bah  !  there  has  been  many  a  hero,  stuffed  with  saw- 
dust, stuck  up  for  the  world  to  admire,  but  never  any  one  quite 
so  despicable  as  that !" 

Young  Caird  was  still  further  disconcerted. 

"  Well — perhaps — perhaps  with  regard  to  him  ;  but  as  for 
her  now — as  for  Pauline,  you  know — " 

"  As  for  her  ?"  continued  the  ruthless  school-master.  "  When 
she  discovers  how  basely  he  has  plotted  to  deceive  and  betray 
her,  when  she  perceives  all  the  lying  he  has  gone  through  in 
order  to  fill  his  nutshell  of  a  heart  with  the  glory  of  revenge — 
revenge  on  a  woman  ! — how  can  she  stoop  to  such  a  hound  ? 
18 


410  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

What  miracle  is  likely  to  change  his  character?  His  monstrous 
vanity  —  his  inconceivable  meanness  —  and,  worse  than  every- 
thing, his  insufferable  blank-verse,  would  remain  with  him  to 
the  end  of  the  chapter — " 

The  younger  man  tossed  the  book  on  to  the  table. 

"  Perhaps  what  you  say  is  right,"  he  repeated,  "  from  the 
literary  point  of  view.  Perhaps.  But  then  you  have  not  seen 
the  piece  acted :  you  have  never  seen  the  living  human  beings 
before  you.  Now  I  happen  to  know  where  it  is  to  be  played 
to-night."  He  named  a  small  town — which  need  not  be  more 
definitely  particularized  here — some  seven  or  eight  miles  out 
of  Glasgow.  "  Would  you  like  to  see  it — if  you  have  no  other 
engagement  for  this  evening  ?  What  do  you  say  ?  We  could 
go  down  in  a  cab  now  to  the  Nick — the  Nike-apteros — and  I 
could  send  round  a  message  to  my  livery-stable  man  to  have  a 
carriage  got  ready  for  us.  Then  we  have  an  hour  or  so  at  the 
club  for  a  bite  of  something  to  cat — a  cigarette  or  so  in  the 
billiard-room — and  we  start  off.     It  is  by  far  the  pleasantest 

way  of  going  out  to at  this  time  of  the  year;  there  is  no 

catching  of  trains ;  and  you  can  come  away  when  you  like. 
What  do  you  say  ?" 

To  Allan  it  may  have  seemed  a  strange  kind  of  proposal. 
Last  night,  the  house  of  the  dead ;  to-night,  the  glare  of  the 
theatre.  But,  after  all,  this  was  a  bizarre  kind  of  world ;  and 
he  was  getting  used  to  diverse  experiences,  and  perhaps  be- 
coming a  little  blunted ;  moreover,  he  knew  well  it  was  no 
mere  literary  discussion  that  was  making  this  young  man  so 
anxious  he  should  sec  the  divine  Pauline  tread  the  stage.  So 
he  assented ;  a  cab  was  called,  and  they  drove  down  to  the 
Nike-apteros  Club,  in  West  Bcgent  Street. 

It  was  an  unpretentious  little  establishment,  well  appoint- 
ed, and  with  a  general  look  of  homely  cheerfulness.  Besides 
this,  owing  to  the  early  hour — and  to  the  fact  that  most  of 
tin;  landscapcrs  were  now  away  in  the  country — they  had  the 
place  almost  to  themselves;  the  dining-room,  in  especial,  was 
empty. 

''  And  why  Nike-apteros?"  Allan  asked,  as  he  looked  around 
at  the  spacious  apartment,  with  its  brightly-laid  tables  and  its 
pictures.     "  Not,  much  like  the  Temple  of  JSgeus,  surely !" 

"  A  very  good   name — a  capital  name,"  rejoined  his  host, 


PAULINE  411 

"  for  a  lot  of  fellows  who  want  to  do  the  very  best  they  can 
without  too  much  blowing  of  trumpets." 

Nevertheless,  it  was  not  of  any  achievements,  victorious  or 
otherwise,  with  either  pen  or  pencil,  that  they  proceeded  to 
converse,  here  on  this  pleasant  summer  evening,  as  they  sat  at 
their  sufficiently  frugal  meal.  The  talk  was  mostly  of  Pau- 
line— of  Pauline,  and  the  mysterious  magic  of  stage-presenta- 
tion, with  a  little  excursus  in  the  direction  of  Wilhelm  Meis- 
ter,  and  De  Quincey's  various  judgments  and  findings,  though 
Pauline  managed  to  reappear  after  the  briefest  possible  ab- 
sence. And  there  was  also  a  good  deal  of  Pauline — and  of 
happy  anticipation  —  as  the  eager-eyed  young  host  thereafter 
led  the  way  out  to  the  open  barouche  that  was  waiting  for 
them,  and  as  they  drove  off  and  through  the  wide- spreading 
suburbs.  Allan  had  been  implored  to  cast  aside  prejudice; 
instead  of  prejudice,  prepossession  was  now  taking  hold  of 
him ;  he  was  almost  ready  to  abjure  his  heresies,  and  to 
range  himself  as  a  meek  and  remote  adorer  of  Miss  Deschap- 
pelles. 

It  was  rather  a  rude  and  barn-like  building,  this  Volunteer 
Hall ;  but  it  had  been  made  into  a  semblance  of  a  theatre ; 
there  was  an  act-drop,  and  there  was  a  scant  orchestra.  And 
hardly  had  the  two  new-comers  taken  their  seats  when  the 
music  came  to  an  end,  the  curtain  was  raised,  and  the  first 
scene  was  disclosed — with  no  other  than  Pauline  herself  "re- 
clining on  a  sofa,  R."  Well,  as  shortly  appeared,  she  was  not 
an  imposing  Pauline ;  she  was  rather  a  diminutive  little  per- 
son, and  her  finery  was  sadly  tarnished ;  but  none  the  less  her 
management  of  her  train  and  her  peacock  walk  across  the 
stage  lent  her  an  imaginary  height  and  stateliness;  her  figure 
was  elegant  and  graceful ;  her  softly-modulated  English  accent 
was  attractive,  and  her  delivery  of  blank- verse — when  the 
time  came  for  that — was  distinctly  admirable.  Nay,  there  was 
something  more.  She  alone,  as  the  play  proceeded,  stood  out 
from  this  grotesque  rabble  of  incompetents.  Beauseant  and 
Glavis  were  dreadful.  Damas,  with  his  efforts  at  Italian  pro- 
nunciation, had  wellnigh  drawn  from  the  school  -  master  one 
of  his  great  explosive  bursts  of  laughter.  Claude  Melnotte — 
the  manager  of  this  travelling  company — was  unmistakably 
drank.     But  all   through  the  ramshackle   performance   there 


412  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

was  something  of  dignity  and  charm  imported  by  the  gentle 
Pauline;  and  when  she  came  to  her  grander  passages — 

"  Love,  sir,  hath  no  sting. 
What  was  the  slight  of  a  poor  powerless  girl, 
To  the  deep  wrong  of  this  most  vile  revenge  ? "       * 

or  again — 

"  I'll  ivork— 
1 'oil — drudge — do  what  thou  wilt — but  touch  me  not; 
Let  my  wrongs  make  me  sacred!" 

— she  rose  to  the  occasion  ;  there  was  a  genuine  thrill  in  her 
voice;  and  the  school-master,  all  unused  to  stage  effects,  could 
not  help  exclaiming  to  himself  in  an  undertone: 

"Good!  Good!  That's  the  real  ring!  Well  done  !— well 
done !" 

Meanwhile  a  close  observer  might  have  perceived  that  Pau- 
line had  become  conscious  of  the  presence  of  a  friend  in  the 
not  over-numerous  audience;  and  in  the  interval  between  Acts 
III.  and  IV.  a  small  neatly-folded  note  was  brought  to  Allan's 
companion. 

"Will  you  excuse  me  for  a  moment?"  said  the  lad,  with  a 
mantling  blush;  and  he  rose  from  his  scat  and  disappeared. 

The  moments  stretched  into  minutes,  the  minutes  into  quar- 
ters of  an  hour,  and  still  he  returned  not.  But  when  the  play 
was  all  over,  and  Allan,  with  the  rest  of  the  crowd,  had  wan- 
dered out,  into  the  street,  young  Caird  turned  up  again,  with 
abject  apologies  ;  and  here  was  the  barouche  to  carry  them 
back  to  Glasgow.  And  then,  perforce,  supper  at  the  Nike 
Club;  ami  further  talk ;  and  further  talk ;  amidst  which  the 
musically-voiced  Pauline  was  not  forgotten. 

It  was  not,  until  about  a  fortnight  after  this  experience — 
many  things  happening,  and  many  arrangements  having  to  be 
made  in  the  meantime — that  Allan  Henderson  found  leisure  to 
write  out  for  Jessie's  amusement  an  account  of  the  "  Lady  of 
Lyons,"  as  he  had  seen  it  played  at  a  provincial  theatre.  It 
was  rather  a  malicious  account — Claude  Mclnotte's  pronuncia- 
tion— 

"  .1  palaCe  lifting  to  eternal  s'mcr" 

and  bis  tangled  feet  not  lending  themselves  to  the  heroic — and 


PAULINE  413 

it  may  have  made  Jess  laugh  a  little,  in  her  quiet  way.  Any- 
how, the  voluminous  letter  was  finished  just  as  the  sunset  was 
flaring  red  along  the  lonely  cliffs  of  Cape  St.  Vincent,  with 
the  solitary  light-house  sending  out  from  time  to  time  its  sud- 
den, golden  ray ;  and  on  the  earliest  possible  occasion  it  was 
consigned  to  the  post-office — that  is  to  say,  the  busy  little  post- 
office  in  the  main  street  of  Gibraltar. 


CHAPTER  XLIX 

A    SUMMONS 

"  I  hope  I  am  not  intruding,"  said  the  councillor  in  Lis  po- 
litest manner,  as  he  made  his  appearance  at  the  parlor  door. 

"  To  think  of  such  a  thing  !"  responded  the  little  widow. 
"Come  your  ways  in,  Mr.  McFadyen — bashfulness  is  not  needed 
at  all.  I  am  sure  there  was  capital  good  sense  in  the  saying 
they  used  to  have  when  T  was  a  girl :  '  The  house  that  tve  are 
not  made  welcome  to,  may  the  devil  blow  the  roof  off  it  /" 

"  Mother,  mother,  what  fearful  language !"  cried  Jess. 

"But  good  sense — capital  good  sense,"  insisted  the  widow. 
"  Take  a  chair,  Mr.  McFadyen,  and  give  us  your  news  !" 

"  Na,  na,"  said  Mr.  McFadyen,  modestly.  "  It's  not  me,  it's 
Miss  Jessie  that  has  all  the  news  nowadays.  Such  long  let- 
ters— and  such  splendid  doings — I  never  heard  the  like  of  ; 
and  it's  but  right  and  proper  of  Allan  to  make  ye  some  re- 
quital of  that  kind,  seeing  the  way  Miss  Jessie  has  been  look- 
ing after  his  interests  ever  since  he  went  away.  I  thought  it 
was  just  real  clever  of  her  to  get  the  house  let  to  the  end  of 
the  year ;  no  one  else  would  have  thought  of  it,  the  evening 
classes  being  such  an  obstacle  ;  but  the  reduced  rent  was  the 
temptation,  no  doubt;  and  a  fine  thing  for  Allan — he  ought 
to  be  greatly  obliged  to  ye — " 

"Oh  yes — oh  yes,"  remarked  the  widow.  "Allan  and  her, 
they  get  on  fine  when  the  breadth  of  Europe  is  between  them; 
but  if  he  were  back  here  to-morrow,  she  would  be  at  him  again 
with  her  scoff-scoffing — the  poor  good-natured  lad,  that  has 
hardly  a  word  to  say  for  himself — " 

"  Allan — good-natured  |"  retorted  Jess,  in  well-feigned  amaze- 
ment. "Tin'  temper  <>f  a  mule,  you  mean!  Good-natured  '! 
It's  not  Allan  Henderson  you're  speaking  of,  mother,  is  it?" 

"  For  shame — for  shame!''  said  the  widow,  angrily.  "  Snap- 
snapping  at  bim  behind  his  back!  And  the  poor  lad  with  not 
too  many  friends — " 


A    SUMMONS  415 

"Oh,  as  for  that,"  continued  Jess,  as  she  took  down  from 
the  mantel-shelf  a  closely-written  letter  of  several  pages,  "he 
can  have  but  little  time  to  think  about  us  or  anything-  we  may 
be  saying  of  him.  Look  at  this,  Mr.  McFadyen  ;  here  is  the 
last  budget ;  and  it's  a  description  of  grandeurs  enough  to  turn 
anybody's  head.    First  of  all,  he  tells  us  about  the  Salaamlik — " 

"Aye,  just  think  of  that,  now,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  said  the  wid- 
ow— without  attempting  to  pronounce  the  word. 

"  I'm  not  quite  sure,"  the  councillor  put  in,  doubtfully,  when 
Jess  proceeded  : 

"  That  is  the  state  procession  of  the  Sultan  to  the  mosque. 
And  it  appears  that  the  English  ambassador  got  cards  of  ad- 
mission for  Mr.  Caird  and  Allan  —  admission  to  a  pavilion, 
where  they  saw  everything  quite  close  by.  Then  the  next  day 
they  had  an  invitation  to  visit  the  imperial  palaces — the  Beyler- 
Bey  and  the  Dolma  Baghcha  on  the  Bosporus,  and  the  Se- 
raglio in  Stamboul;  and  the  aide-de-camp  came  for  them  in  one 
of  His  Majesty's  caiques — a  long,  beautiful  boat,  with  ten 
rowers  in  costumes  of  white  silk  and  red  fez ;  and  the  two 
visitors  were  shown  the  wonderful  display  of  jewels  in  the 
treasury ;  and  were  served  with  rose-leaf  jam  in  cups  in- 
crusted  with  precious  stones — " 

"  Do  ye  hear  that  —  do  ye  hear  that,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  inter- 
posed Mrs.  Maclean,  not  without  a  trace  of  exultation. 

The  Golden  Horn,  the  Sweet  Waters,  the  Suleimanieh,  the 
Seven  Towers ;  these  were  brave  words;  and  Allan's  description 
of  Constantinople  by  moonlight  was  no  doubt  vivid  enough ; 
but  all  the  same  Mr.  McFayden  began  to  grow  impatient  and 
even  resentful.  He  was  losing  in  importance.  He  was  being 
ignored.  In  the  face  of  all  these  glories  and  dignities,  what 
became  of  his  position  as  a  member  of  Duntroone  Town  Council? 

"I  would  just  say  this,"  he  observed,  "that  as  a  kind  of 
theatrical  representation,  what  you  have  been  reading,  Miss 
Jessie,  is  very  remarkable.  But  I'm  thinking  that  a  man's 
value  in  the  world  depends  on  what  he  can  do  within  his  own 
sphere.  It  is  there  he  must  make  his  influence  felt — it  is  there 
he  becomes  of  consequence.  I  dare  say,  now,  that  after  such  a 
parade  of  Eastern  magnificence  and  glitter,  a  question  like  the 
granting  of  spirit  licenses,  here  in  Duntroone,  must  look  a 
small  and  contemptible  affair — " 


410  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

"  Indeed  no — indeed  no,  Mr.  McFadyen  !"  the  widow  pro- 
tested. "  What  can  interest  us  more  than  what  is  happening 
just  close  around  us  ?" 

He  turned  to  her  with  alacrity. 

"  Ah,  I  see  ye  understand,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  he  said.  "  Ye 
understand  what  is  of  main  consequence  to  us.  And  I  will 
say  this  for  myself :  that  when  we  came  to  consider  whether  we 
should  grant  any  further  spirit  licenses,  my  brother  councillors 
were  all  at  sixes  and  sevens  until  I  made  the  suggestion  that 
the  people  themselves  should  be  asked  what  they  wanted. 
1  And  how  are  yon  going  to  do  that  ?'  says  they.  '  Why,  by 
a  plebiscity,'  says  I.     '  The  simplest  thing  possible.'  " 

"  Ye're  right  there,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  agreed  the  widow. 
"  There's  nothing  like  publicity.  I'm  no  for  any  hole-and- 
corner  business — no,  no  !  Ye  must  keep  an  eye  on  them,  Mr. 
McFadyen." 

"  There's  one  or  two  things,"  continued  the  councillor,  in  a 
serious  and  thoughtful  fashion,  "  that  I  would  like  to  see  done 
while  I  have  life  and  health  spared  me  to  attend  to  these  pub- 
lic concerns.  There's  the  condition  of  the  North  Pier — as  I've 
said  many  a  time  before,  it's  a  disgrace,  a  perfect  disgrace. 
And  if  we  cannot  acquire  the  property  for  ourselves — if  the 
Board  of  Trade  cannot  help  us — then  at  the  very  least  wc 
might  make  some  arrangement  about  sanitary  appliances. 
Why,  a  good  sloshing-down  every  morning  with  a  solution  of 
carbolic  acid — that  of  itself  would  be  something." 

"  Ye're  right  again,  Mr.  McFadyen,"  chimed  in  the  widow, 
nodding  approval.  "Carbolic  acid's  the  thing — it's  just  the 
best  anti-scmitic  there  is — " 

"  Is  it  antiseptic  you  mean,  mother?"  Jess  interposed,  rather 
crossly. 

"Ah,  that's  what  I  said,"  continued  the  widow,  with  much 
complacency.  "  I'm  sure  the  state  of  the  North  Pier  is  just 
crying  aloud  for  something  to  be  done." 

"I  have  undertaken  to  give  it  my  best  attention,"  said  the 
Councillor,  grandly  ;  and  he  would  probably  have  gone  on  to 
mention  one  or  two  further  arid  important  reforms,  but  that  at 
tlii  moment  a  new-comer  appeared,  all  eyes  being  instantly 
turned  towards  him. 

It  was  the  shoemaker.     Long  Lauchlan   seemed   perturbed 


A    SUMMONS  417 

and  agitated ;  and  his  excuses  for  this  sudden  intrusion  were 
somewhat  incoherent. 

"  I  had  just  half  a  minute,"  said  he.  "  It  was  the  only  shelter 
I  could  find ;  and  I'm  sure,  Mrs.  Maclean,  you  will  not  object 
to  my  coming  in — until — until  he  has  gone  by." 

"  But  who,  Lauchlan  ?"  asked  the  widow.  "  What  is  the 
matter  ?" 

"  It's  that  desperate  man,  Red  Murdoch,  from  Salen,"  re- 
sponded Lauchie,  with  another  timorous  glance  towards  the 
front  shop,  "  and  I  was  hearing  that  he  was  in  the  town  and 
inquiring  for  me  everywhere ;  and,  thinks  I  to  myself,  I  will 
keep  out  of  the  rod,  and  he  will  be  going  aweh  hom  by  the 
evening  steamer.  Aye,  and  would  you  believe  it,  I  was  com- 
ing along  Campbell  Street,  and  there  was  he  turning  out  of  the 
lane  by  the  Bank  of  Scotland,  and  if  I  had  not  escaped  in  here, 
he  would  hef  got  hold  of  me,  and  that's  the  Bible's  truth — " 

"  But  what  did  he  want  with  you  ?"  Jess  demanded,  though 
there   were  dark   suspicions  in   her  mind,  prompting   her   to 

giggle. 

"  Oh,  he's  a  terrible  man,  that,"  said  Long  Lauchie,  in  an 
awe-stricken  way.  "  If  Red  Murdoch  is  for  the  drink,  there's 
no  holding  him  back — no,  nor  any  one  he  gets  by  the  arm  ;  and 
I  heard  he  was  searching  for  me — me,  that's  a  Rechabite  and 
an  officer  of  the  Tent !     But  maybe  he's  gone  by  now — " 

"  What  nonsense  it  is  you  are  talking,  Lauchlan  Maclntyre  !" 
said  the  widow,  sharply.  "Are  you  telling  me  that  any  one 
can  make  you  drink  if  you're  not  that  way  inclined  ?  Where 
is  your  courage  ?  I  would  not  be  frightened  into  any  corner, 
if  I  were  you — no,  not  for  twenty  Red  Murdochs !  Are  you 
not  free  to  walk  along  the  streets  ?  What  kind  of  a  country  is 
this  we're  living  in,  then  ?  I  am  ashamed  to  hear  you,  Lauch- 
lan !" 

Long  Lauchie  regarded  her  for  a  second. 

"  You're  a  woman,  Mrs.  Maclean,"  said  he,  mysteriously. 
"  And  you  hef  no  experience  of  Red  Murdoch  when  he  comes 
back  from  Calder  Market,  and  would  like  a  dram  with  one  of 
his  old  friends.  But  he  must  hef  gone  by  now — yes,  indeed,  he 
must  hef  gone  by  ;  and  it's  much  obliged  I  am  to  you,  Mrs. 
Maclean,  for  giving  me  the  shelter ;  and  I  will  go  out  now  and 
down  to  the  shore,  and  get  a  boat,  and  a  lad  to  pull  me  over 
18* 


418  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

to  Ardentrive  Bay  ;  and  I  will  stop  there  until  I  see  the  Mull 
steamer  passing  out.  Me  that's  a  Rechabite  could  not  be  seen 
going  into  a  public-house  with  Red  Murdoch,  no  matter  what 
money  he  may  have  got  at  Calder.  May  the  Good  Being  pre- 
serve ns !" 

This  last  ejaculation  was  in  Gaelic.  For  there  was  a  sound 
as  of  some  one  opening  the  front  shop.  But  this  was  no  great 
red-bearded  drover — this  was  Niall  Gorach,  who  came  to  the 
half-opened  door,  peering  in  with  his  elfin  eyes. 

"  Aw,  Mr.  Maclntyre,"  said  he,  "  it  is  here  you  are  ;  and  Red 
Murdoch  he  was  sending  me  to  find  you  ;  and  I  am  to  tell  him 
where  you  are — " 

"  Son  of  the  devil !"  exclaimed  Lauchlan,  and  he  made  a  step 
forward  and  seized  the  lad  by  the  shoulder.  "  This  is  what 
you  will  be  telling  him  now — are  you  listening?  You  will  tell 
Red  Murdoch  that  my  mother  is  dead,  and  the  funeral  will  be 
in  a  week  or  two,  and  I  hef  gone  aweh  to  Appin  for  the  fu- 
neral, and  it  will  be  a  month  before  I  am  back.  Do  you  hear 
me  now  ?  Off  with  you  and  find  out  Red  Murdoch,  and  tell 
him  I  am  dead,  and  my  mother  is  dead  ;  and  he  is  to  go  aweh 
horn  by  the  evening  steamer.     Do  you  understand  me  now  ?" 

Perhaps  Niall  Gorach  did,  and  perhaps  lie  did  not ;  at  all 
events,  he  disappeared  ;  and  Lauchlan  turned  with  an  air  of 
apology  to  the  widow. 

"  Mebbe,  Mrs.  Maclean,  you  will  not  mind  my  staying  a  few 
minutes  longer.  For  Red  Murdoch  he  might  be  in  one  street, 
or  another  street,  but  he'll  be  going  aweh  horn  by  the  evening 
boat  whatever ;  and  people  that  does  not  want  to  be  drinking 
will  be  left  in  peace  and  quietness." 

Alas!  at  this  very  instant  there  was  another  sound  outside — 
on  the  pavement  and  in  the  front  shop — that  reawakened  the 
conscious  fear  in  Lauchlan's  eyes  :  it  was  a  tread,  heavy  and 
irregular,  that  could  not  be  mistaken  for  the  cat-like  approach 
of  Niall  Gorach.  Almost,  simultaneously  a  gigantic  form  ap- 
peared at  the  door,  and  the  great,  shaggy  visage  of  Red  Mur- 
doch stared  bemusedly  in  upon  the  little  group.  At  first  he 
did  not  Beem  to  recognize  any  one — not  even  the  shoemaker, 
who  had  slunk  into  a  twilit  corner. 

"A  mild  woman—  a  mild  woman,"  said  the  huge  drover,  in 
Gaelic,  as  he  regarded  Mrs.  Maclean. 


A    SUMMONS  419 

"A  young  girl — a  handsome  young  girl,"  he  continued,  in 
his  occult  approval,  as  for  a  moment  he  contemplated  Jess. 

But  uow  he  came  to  Lauchie,  half  hidden  in  that  dusky  re- 
treat ;  and  at  once  a  roar  of  delighted  laughter  broke  from 
him  ;  he  strode  forward,  and  laid  a  vast  and  hairy  paw  on  the 
arm  of  the  shrinking  shoemaker. 

"Are  you  there,  sou  of  my  heart?  And  it  is  a  good  day, 
this  day,  when  I  have  the  money  in  my  pocket,  and  Long 
Lauchlan  to  be  coming  with  me  for  a  dram.  It  is  a  fine  day, 
this  day :  Lauchlan,  my  son,  the  grass  that  is  not  grown  is 
suitable  for  the  unborn  calf ;  but  here  I  have  the  money  ;  and 
my  thanks  to  the  good  chance  that  brings  me  a  friend — " 

"  Away,  away  !"  cried  Lauchlan,  trying  to  free  himself  from 
that  tremendous  grip.  "  I  am  not  for  any  drink.  I  will  not 
have  any  drink.     I  am  not  one  of  the  drinking  kind." 

The  stupefied  drover  gazed  and  gazed  ;  and  then  he  shook 
his  head  savagely,  as  if  he  would  clear  his  brain  from  these  en- 
cumbering and  bewildering  mists  and  fogs ;  and  then  he  tried 
to  drag  the  shoemaker  out  into  the  open,  to  see  if  it  was  pos- 
sible to  understand  what  all  this  meant.  But  now  it  was  that 
the  councillor  intervened.  Mr.  McFadyen  was  a  little  man,  and 
rather  fat  and  scant  of  breath  ;  nevertheless,  he  had  a  valiant 
soul — especially  when  Jessie  Maclean  happened  to  be  looking 
on  ;  and  without  more  ado  he  seized  Red  Murdoch  by  the 
elbow. 

"  Let  the  man  alone !"  said  he.  "Are  you  not  aware  that  he 
has  become  a  Rechabite  ?" 

"  And  who  are  you  ?"  said  the  big  drover,  turning  to  glare 
down  on  this  audacious  interloper. 

"  I  am  a  member  of  the  town-council,"  replied  Peter,  with- 
out one  pin's  point  of  quailing,  "and  I  have  sufficient  influence 
with  the  police  authorities  to  see  that  no  one  is  allowed  to  come 
into  any  house  and  disturb  and  frighten  decent,  quiet  people." 

"  Oh,  there  is  no  frightening  of  any  one,"  said  Jess,  who  in- 
deed was  more  inclined  to  laugh.  "  But  if  you  are  going  by 
the  evening  steamer,  Mr.  Murdoch,  it  is  about  time  you  were 
walking  along  to  the  quay ;  and  Mr.  McFadyen's  house  is  close 
by ;  and  I  am  sure  if  you  went  along  with  him  he  would  be 
glad  to  have  a  parting  glass  with  you,  and  you  could  leave  Mr, 
Maclntyre  to  his  own  ways  and  habits," 


420  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

But  at  this  Red  Murdoch  drew  himself  up. 

"  Who  goes  through  the  thorns  for  rnc,  I'll  go  through  the 
briers  for  him,"  he  said,  in  a  dignified  manner.  "And  I  will 
take  a  parting  glass  with  the  gentleman,  if  he  is  agreeable.  But 
it  is  not  I  that  am  in  the  custom  of  going  from  one  house  to 
another  house  and  asking  for  a  glass  of  whiskey,  when  I  can 
pay  for  my  own  whiskey.  And  as  for  the  Rechabites — well,  I 
hope  there  will  be  plenty  of  Rechabites,  and  more  and  more 
Rechabites,  until  the  devil  takes  them  to  light  his  fires  with  !" 

And  thereupon  the  red-bearded  Mull  drover,  still  somewhat 
proud  and  offended,  suffered  himself  to  be  led  away  by  the 
councillor;  while  Long  Lanchie,  tremulously  thankful  over  his 
escape  from  this  formidable  temptation,  came  forth  from  his 
corner  and  went  sadly  away  home.  And  all  that  the  little 
widow  said,  when  they  had  quitted  the  premises,  was  this : 

"  The  men  are  strange  folk.  And  it's  a  Heaven's  mercy  when 
they  dinna  come  to  blows." 

But  during  the  subsequent  and  grateful  quiet  Jess  remained 
for  a  long  time  silent  and  absent-minded ;  and  she  still  held 
Allan  Henderson's  letter  in  her  hand. 

"  Mother,"  she  said,  after  a  while,  "  I  suppose,  now,  Mr. 
McFadyen  will  imagine  that  Allan  is  thinking  only  of  himself 
and  all  these  fine  adventures.  I  did  not  care  to  read  any  more 
of  the  letter  to  him.  What  would  be  the  use?  And  what  am 
I  to  answer  to  Allan  himself,  and  to  all  his  anxious  question- 
ings— week  after  week,  week  after  week,  very  soon  it  will  be 
months — and  me  with  hardly  a  word  of  news  to  send  him? 
How  can  I  make  him  understand  that  Barbara  will  not  write, 
and  that  she  will  not  sec  any  one,  and  that  her  only  wish  ap- 
pears to  be  that  she  should  be  forgotten,  and  her  name  never 
mentioned  among  us?  And  what  is  to  come  of  it?  Sometimes 
I  am  dreading  that  there  will  be  a  terrible  harm." 

And  again  she  said  : 

"  Mother,  would  you  mind  if  T  went  through  to  Glasgow  for 
a  few  days,  or  maybe  longer?  Mrs.  Guthrie  might  give  me  a 
bed  ;  for  I  would  not  like  to  be  all  by  myself  in  a  temperance 
hotel  in  a  l»ig  town  like  that.  I  must  see  Barbara  —I  cannot 
sleep  at,  nights  for  thinking  of  her." 

"And  many'e  the  wakeful  hour  I  have,"  rejoined  the  little 
widow,  "over  the  poor  lass  run!  her  troubles.    And  as  you  say, 


A    SUMMONS  421 

Jessie,  what  will  come  of  it  if  she  refuses  every  permission,  and 
will  have  no  comfort  and  no  hope,  and  wishes  to  be  as  one  that 
is  dead  to  us?  She  was  brought  up  in  the  fresh  air  and  the 
open  ;  and  to  be  shut  close  within  black  walls — dear,  dear  me ! 
— what  is  to  come  of  it?" 

"  Mother,"  the  girl  said,  "  I  will  go  to  Glasgow — and  you 
must  not  hurry  me  back." 

So  next  day  Jess  made  her  small  preparations,  and  set  out  for 
the  great  city ;  and  there  she  received  a  most  friendly  welcome 
from  Mrs.  Guthrie,  who  kept  a  baker's  shop  in  the  Gallowgate. 
At  first  her  letters  home  were  filled  merely  with  a  vague  mis- 
giving— a  misgiving  that  was  perhaps  mainly  caused  by  her  per- 
plexity ;  for  she  could  not  fathom  and  get  to  comprehend  this 
strange  mood  of  mind  on  the  part  of  the  hapless  prisoner.  But 
after  awhile  those  letters  struck  a  sharper  note  of  alarm  ;  and 
at  last  there  arrived  a  telegram  begging  Mrs.  Maclean  to  go 
through  to  Glasgow  at  once,  or,  if  that  were  impossible,  to  send 
Mr.  McFadyen  in  her  stead. 


CHAPTER  L 

FAREWELL  ! 

One  morning,  towards  noon,  two  travellers  who  had  arrived 
at  Calais  overnight  were  walking  up  and  down  the  breezy  prom- 
enade of  the  Quai  de  Marec,  with  an  occasional  glance  now  at 
the  boats  in  the  harbor,  and  again  at  the  wide  waters  of  the 
Channel  that  were  flashing  and  rushing  in  silver-and-yellow 
before  a  brisk  east  wind. 

"Well,  Henderson,"  said  the  younger  of  the  two,  "you've 
come  a  precious  long  way  for  what  seems  to  me  a  mere  matter 
of  convention." 

"  Convention  ?"  repeated  the  school-master,  abruptly.  "  What 
convention  ?    I  could  do  nothing  else.     What  else  could  I  do?" 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  continued  the  younger  man,  with  quick 
pacification;  "perhaps  I  should  have  said  a  matter  of  princi- 
ple. Anyhow,  all  that  sad  business  in  Glasgow  must  have  been 
long  over  by  now  ;  and  I  hardly  understand  why  you  should 
have  thought  it  necessary — " 

""At  the  very  least,"'  said  his  companion,  "I  can  go  on  to 
Duntroone,  and  thank  those  good  friends  who  stood  in  my 
place  when  I  was  far  enough  away.  No;  my  starting  for 
home,  as  soon  as  that  message  reached  me  at  Mondanieh,  was 
an  inevitable  thing — I  could  not  do  otherwise ;  but  you — why 
you  should  have  undertaken  such  a  tedious  and  aimless  jour- 
ney, only  to  stop  here — I  have  not  been  able  to  make  that  out 
yet." 

"Why  I  came  back  with  your  said  young  Caird,  lightly. 
"  Why  I  came  on  to  Calais?  Oh,  for  a  frolic — or  for  compa- 
ny's sake — or  to  practise  self-denial;  self-denial,  most  likely. 
Von  sec,  there  can't  be  anything  to  do  in  this  dull  little  hole  of 
a  town;  so,  until  yon  reappear,  I  suppose  I  shall  spend  most  of 
my  time  on  this  promenade,  strolling  about,  and  addressing 
polished  and   elegant  speeches  to  my  respected  relatives  over 


FAREWELL  !  423 

the  water :  '  My  dear  friends,  if  you  were  to  learn  that  I  had 
returned  so  far,  and  that  at  this  moment  I  was  almost  within 
sight  of  English  shores,  you  would,  no  doubt,  jump  to  the  con- 
clusion that  I  meant  to  cross ;  and  you  would  be  delighted  to 
think  that  a  certain  compact  was  about  to  be  broken.  But  I 
am  not  going  to  do  anything  of  the  kind — not  at  all.  I  am 
playing  for  too  important  a  stake.  There  is  a  little  matter  of 
family  recognition  to  be  added  in,  when  the  stipulated  year  ex- 
pires, and  when  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  presenting  to  you 
a  young  person  whose  accomplishments  and  refinement  and 
grace  will  be  quite  an  addition  to  your  domestic  circles — and 
something  of  a  novelty,  too.'  " 

But  here  the  lame  lad  sent  a  rather  wistful  look  away  to  the 
north. 

"  After  all,  Henderson,  it  is  a  temptation,"  he  confessed.  "  I 
do  believe  if  I  were  to  cross  with  you  by  this  next  boat  I  could 
slip  through  to  Glasgow  without  any  chance  of  being  discov- 
ered, and  meet  you  somewhere  on  the  way  back.  Let's  see : 
you'll  be  in  London  between  four  and  five;  then  on  by  the 
Scotch  mail  to-night;  Glasgow  quite  early  to-morrow  morning. 
Then  the — the  company  are  playing  at  Falkirk  just  now — " 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?"  said  the  school-master,  turning 
upon  him  sharply. 

"  Oh,  yon  needn't  be  afraid,"  responded  the  lad,  with  a  laugh. 
"  Direct  communication  only  is  forbidden  in  the  bond,  and 
there's  been  nothing  of  that  kind.  But  one  may  have  a  friend 
here  or  there,  don't  you  perceive  ?" 

"  Yes,"  observed  the  school  -  master ;  "  you  seem  to  have 
borne  this  separation,  so  far,  with  great  equanimity." 

"  Oh,  I  assure  you  I  have  kept  strictly  to  the  terms !"  the 
younger  man  exclaimed,  placidly.  "Not  but  that  there  may 
have  been  moments — just  now,  for  example — when  one's  com- 
mon-sense rebels.  Or  which  is  the  common-sense — impatience 
over  this  preposterous  compact,  or  the  determination,  now  that 
so  much  has  been  gone  through,  to  hold  on  to  the  end  ?  That 
is  a  conundrum  I  can  study  while  yon  are  away  in  the  north  ; 
and  you  have  been  setting  me  a  good  many  of  late  to  puzzle 
over.  I  remember  a  very  pretty  one :  '  Can  any  natural  in- 
stinct or  impulse  be  in  itself  criminal,  or  is  it  onlv  criminal  in 
so  far  as  society,  for  its  own  protective  purposes,  chooses  to  de- 


424  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

clare  it  criminal  ?'  That's  a  very  dainty  suggestion — something 
like  a  cartload  of  dynamite  fit  to  burst  up  the  whole  moral  or- 
der of  the  universe.  For  example,  ray  natural  impulse  at  this 
moment,  if  I  were  within  reach  of  that  fishing-smack,  would 
be  to  tip  the  skipper  into  the  sea.  Is  there  any  such  loathsome 
sight  as  a  fat  Frenchman  in  a  temper?  Look  at  his  clinched 
fists — look  at  him  jumping  with  rage — listen  to  his  howls  and 
shrieks  at  those  jibing  and  mocking  people  on  the  quay — and 
every  moment  he  knows  the  wind  is  carrying  him  farther  and 
farther  out  of  hearing.  But  what  now — what  now  ! — oh,  moug 
jew,  regard ez  ! — " 

And  with  melodramatic  horror  and  reprobation  young 
Caird  put  his  hands  over  his  eyes  and  averted  his  head. 
For  the  infuriated  skipper,  standing  high  on  the  stern  of 
the  departing  smack,  found  himself  helpless  in  the  face 
of  that  derisive  rabble ;  his  frantic  curses  and  threats 
would  no  longer  carry  the  distance ;  so  in  this  last  ex- 
tremity, and  in  the  madness  of  his  scorn  and  hate,  he  sud- 
denly executed  a  scries  of  inconceivable  and  indescribable 
gestures  the  like  of  which  his  shamefaced  mother  -earth 
had  never  before  beheld.  The  fish -wives  standing  about 
laughed, but  rather  among  themselves;  the  thick-set  mariners 
grinned  more  openly;  and  meanwhile  the  all-prevailing  breeze 
was  gradually  reducing  that  gesticulating  and  desperate 
item  of  humanity  to  a  small  and  voiceless  and  inappreciable 
dot. 

"Come  away,  now,"  said  young  Caird,  "and  let's  walk  along 
to  the  steamer.  And  about  my  natural  impulse  to  tip  that 
skipper  into  the  sea:  wasn't  it  perfectly  justifiable  ?  If  society 
were  to  declare  it  criminal,  it  would  be  because  society  had 
never  witnessed  such  a  deplorable  exhibition." 

"  Lad,  lad,"  said  the  school-master,  absently,  "  it  is  well  with 
you  that  you  can  make  a  joke  of  such  questions.  Sometimes 
they  come  a  little  more  seriously  into  human  life." 

That  was  all;  and  there  was  no  unkindlincss  in  the  hint; 
but  the  younger  man,  who  had  got  to  know  a  good  deal  of  his 
companion's  story,  quickly  and  skilfully  changed  the  subject 
— and  easily,  too,  for  now  they  were  about  to  separate,  and 
their  final  arrangements  had  to  be  made. 

And  thus  it  was  that  Allan   Henderson,  journeying  alone, 


FAREWELL  !  425 

made  his  way  northward  to  Glasgow,  where  indeed  there  was 
not  much  for  him  to  do  beyond  visiting  two  graves — grave  of 
wife  and  grave  of  friend  ;  and  in  his  long  reveries  he  may  have 
pondered  over  the  strangely  devious  paths  by  which  those  two 
children  of  the  far  and  lonely  outer  isles,  who  in  life  had  never 
known  each  other,  had  at  length  reached  this  last  resting-place, 
within  sight  and  sound  of  the  great  murmuring  city.  As  for 
him,  Glasgow  had  become  a  town  of  dark  memories  and  re- 
grets ;  and  he  seemed  to  breathe  more  freely  when  on  the  next 
day  he  found  himself  on  the  train  that  was  bearing  him  away 
out  to  the  western  seas  —  though  nevertheless  he  looked  back, 
and  still  looked  back,  so  long  as  any  of  the  gray  houses  and 
the  tall  chimneys  were  visible. 

It  was  rather  a  wet  and  boisterous  afternoon  when  in  due 
course  he  arrived  at  the  well-known  little  station  fronting  the 
harbor;  but  delicious  to  his  nostrils  were  the  soft,  fresh,  rain- 
laden  gusts  that  blew  in  across  the  bay  ;  and  he  forgot  all  about 
Pentelicus  and  Marathon  and  the  basking  slopes  of  Hymettus 
when  he  beheld  the  ancient  and  ivied  castle  tall  and  dark 
against  the  windy  western  skies,  and  when  he  saw  the  wild 
cloud-wreaths  moving  and  intertwisting  in  silver  and  purple 
above  the  sombre  Morven  hills.  His  heart  swelled,  and  his 
throat  was  like  to  choke  him  when  he  heard  the  kindly  speech 
from  which  he  had  so  long  been  absent,  and  he  was  glad  that 
neither  Jessie  Maclean  nor  her  mother  was  here  to  meet  him ; 
if  he  had  been  less  agitated  he  might  have  guessed  that  it  was 
only  part  of  Jess's  thoughtfulness  that  had  made  them  stay 
away,  while  here  was  the  alert  and  indefatigable  Mr.  McFadyen 
to  represent  them. 

"  I  was  to  ask  you  to  excuse  them,"  said  the  councillor, 
eagerly  snatching  at  handbags  and  parcels,  whether  they  be- 
longed to  Allan  or  not,  "  and  I've  got  a  room  ready  for  you 
at  my  house,  for,  as  ye've  doubtless  heard,  your  own  house  has 
been  let;  but  the  widow  and  her  daughter  will  be  glad  to  see 
you  later  on,  when  you've  plenty  of  time,  and  when  you've 
got  more  accustomed  to  the  town — " 

At  this  Allan  stopped  short,  and  stood  stock-still  —  here, 
amongst  the  luggage  and  the  porters  and  the  bustling  pas- 
sengers. 

"  McFadyen,  what  is't  you  mean  ?"  said  he.     "  Do  they  hold 


426  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

rac  answerable  for  all  that  has  happened?  Has  Mrs.  Maclean 
cast  me  out?'' 

"  Dod  bless  my  soul  and  body  !"  exclaimed  the  councillor, 
in  great  confusion  and  fright ;  was  this  the  result  of  his  trying 
to  obey  Jess  Maclean's  earnest  injunctions?  "You'll  not  let  a 
body  speak !  They  thought  they  might  be  in  the  way — and 
— and  I've  got  everything  arranged  for  ye — as  well  as  I  could 
in  my  poor  dwelling;  and  we'll  go  along  to  see  the  Macleans  as 
soon  as  ever  yon  like — I  mean,  as  soon  as  you've  had  a  bite  of 
something.  And  the  thrashing — oh  yes,  Miss  Jessie  was  sure 
ye'd  like  to  hear  of  the  fearful  thrashing  I  gave  the  station- 
master  on  Saturday  afternoon:  ye  see,  Jamie  Gilmour  has  been 
out  o'  practice  all  through  the  summer-time  because  of  being  so 
busy — morning  till  night  far  too  busy  to  think  of  the  links — " 

By  this  time  Mr.  McFadyen  had  secured  a  porter;  and  when 
Allan's  not  very  cumbrous  luggage  had  been  put  on  the  barrow, 
the  two  friends  set  out  to  accompany  it — for  the  councillor's 
house  was  but  a  little  way  off. 

"  And  then,"  continued  Peter,  with  dawning  merriment, 
"  I'll  tell  ye  the  truth — I'll  confess  the  truth  :  I  had  been  prac- 
tising pretty  hard,  and  not  letting  on  to  Jamie.  There's 
Tolmie,  the  professional,  hanging  about  there  now;  and  I  was 
getting  a  few  lessons  from  him,  d'ye  understand — on  the  quiet; 
so  that  when  the  ball  did  happen  to  trintle  away  down  into 
that  beast  of  a  hollow  by  the  dike,  I  began  to  find  myself  no 
just  quite  so  helpless —  Here,  you  thick-headed  goineril,  where 
the  mischief  are  ye  going?" 

This  last  execration  was  hurled  at  the  porter,  who,  having 
recognized  the  school-master,  and  assuming  that  this  was  the 
school-master's  luggage,  was  for  leaving  the  harbor-front  to 
get  away  up  to  Battery  Terrace.  When  it  had  again  been 
forced  in  on  his  mind  that  they  were  all  of  them  bound  for 
the  councillor's  dwelling,  Peter  continued  his  brisk  conversa- 
tion— as  had  been  enjoined  on  him. 

"  It  was  a  wonderful  clever  tiling,"  said  he,  "  of  Miss  Jessie 
to  get  your  house  let  to  those  friends  o'  hers  from  Peterhead; 
for  it  suits  them  just-  splendid — the  ailing  lass  having  been 
ordered  to  try  the  suit  west-country  air;  and  it  matters  little 
to  them  to  have  the  lower  rooms  occupied  by  the  Latin  classes 
for  an  hour  or  two  in  the  evening — " 


farewell!  427 

"If  Mr.  Fenwick  would  not  mind,"  said  Allan,  "I  would 
like  to  look  in  for  a  few  minutes  to-night,  just  to  see  the  lads." 

"  To  be  sure — to  be  sure  !  Capital — a  capital  idea  !"  cried 
Peter,  approvingly  ;  and  now  they  were  arrived  at  his  house ; 
and  here  was  the  great,  gawky,  good-natured,  gooseberry-eyed 
servant-lass  ready  to  help  with  the  luggage ;  and  in  the  adjoin- 
ing parlor  the  dinner-table  was  laid — and  laid  for  two  only. 

For  this  also  was  part  of  Jessie's  kindly  scheming ;  though 
her  mother  had  furtively  cried  a  little  when  she  learned  that 
Allan,  on  his  return  home,  was  to  be  received  in  a  strange 
house.  But  Jess  insisted  ;  she  would  have  no  family  gathering- 
over  the  way,  with  its  painful  blank  only  too  conspicuous ;  and 
of  course  she  found  in  the  councillor  a  willing  ally.  So  it  was 
that  Peter  and  his  guest  sat  down  at  this  table  by  themselves ; 
and  the  big,  bland  servant-lass  brought  in  successively  cockie- 
leekie,  boiled  salmon,  and  roast  fowl  and  bacon ;  while  the 
loquacious  host,  suddenly  remembering  that  he  had  dropped 
the  story  of  the  discomfiture  and  dismay  of  the  station-master, 
resumed  the  narrative,  and  launched  into  a  Homeric  description 
of  his  own  exploits  and  his  enemy's  chagrin. 

"Dod,  man,"  he  cried,  between  bursts  of  irrepressible  laugh- 
ter, "ye  never  saw  any  human  creature  in  such  a  state  of 
bewilderment !  All  the  tricks  that  Tolmie  had  been  showing 
me  seemed  to  come  in  handy  from  the  very  beginning — but 
more  especially  at  the  dike — more  especially  at  the  dike — for 
I  made  a  bad  hash  of  my  first  attempt,  and  the  ball  did  not 
get  over,  and  Jamie  he  sets  to  work  sniggering.  'Peter,'  says 
he,  'away  back  wi'  ye  thirty  yards,  and  try  again.'  'Jamie,' 
says  I,  'keep  a  calm  sough  for  a  minute.'  And  then  I  gets 
out  my  lofter ;  and  I  steadied  my  aim  ;  and  click  !  goes  the  ball 
into  the  air — well  and  clean  over  and  away  !  '  It's  an  infernal 
fluke  !'  says  he.  '  I'll  bet  ye  half-a-crown  on  the  game !'  says  I. 
'  Done  with  you,  Peter,'  says  he,  '  and  you'll  be  whistling  an- 
other tune  before  I've  finished  with  ye!'  Was  I?  Was  I?" 
continued  the  councillor,  with  another  hilarious  roar.  "  Man,  ye 
should  have  seen  Jamie  get  angrier  and  angrier  as  we  went  on ; 
and  when  he  grows  savage,  it's  all  up  with  him  ;  he  just  bashes 
the  ground.  I  wonder  there's  an  ounce  of  land  or  soil  left  in 
Argyllshire!  And  his  astonishment  when  we  got  to  the  end, 
and  toted  up  the  scores!     'Jamie,'  says  I,  'what  kind  of  a 


428  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

tunc  would  you  like  to  be  whistling  now?'  'Oh,  go  to  the 
devil !'  says  he — and  ye  can  imagine  what's  in  a  man's  mind 
when  that's  all  he's  got  to  say  for  himself.  Allan,  Miss  Jessie 
was  saying  maybe  you  yourself  would  like  to  take  a  turn  round 
the  links  to-morrow." 

The  school-master  shook  his  head. 

"  I  must  get  away  again  as  soon  as  ever  I  can,"  said  he. 
"  Young  Caird  is  waiting  for  tne  in  Calais ;  and  very  friendly 
of  him  it  was  to  come  all  the  way  across  Europe  with  me." 

"  And  for  how  long  are  you  off  again  ?" 

"For  some  nine  months  or  so — whatever  will  make  up  a 
year  from  the  time  we  first  started." 

The  councillor  hesitated  for  a  second  or  so. 

"  Then  maybe  you  would  like  to  go  along  at  once  to  Mrs. 
Maclean's  ?" 

"  Well,  I  would — though  I  need  not  hurry  you." 

"  I  was  to  bring  you  as  soon  as  it  was  convenient  to  your- 
self," McFadyen  interposed,  dexterously  ;  and  in  a  few  minutes 
the  two  men  were  outside  and  on  their  way  to  Campbell  Street. 

It  was  a  sad  enough  meeting  ;  but  Mr.  McFadyen  had  had 
his  instructions;  the  talk  was  about  all  manner  of  ordinary 
things,  with  occasional  references  to  Allan's  forthcoming  de- 
parture and  future  plans.  It  is  true  that  now  and  again  the 
eyes  of  the  little  widow  would  fill  with  tears,  even  when  she 
was  trying  to  join  in  as  bravely  as  any  of  them;  and  Jess 
seemed  rather  to  keep  apart  —  she  was  summoned  away  more 
than  once  to  the  front  shop;  it  was  on  Peter  McFadyen  that 
the  difficulties  of  the  situation  chiefly  fell,  and  he  acquit- 
ted himself  admirably.  Nor  was  there  any  need  to  wish  the 
councillor  away,  that  more  intimate  questions  might  be  asked 
and  answered  ;  for  Jess  had  communicated  all  the  news  by  let- 
ter; np  to  the  arrival  of  the  school-master  at  Calais,  he  had 
heard  from  her  at  even  possible  point.  Perhaps  it  was  for 
tlii-,  reason  that,  she  now  held  herself  somewhat  aloof. 

At  length  Mr.  McFadyen  took  out,  his  watch  and  said  : 

"Tin  thinking,  Allan,  you  had  some  intention  of  going  up 
to  the  Terrace  to  look  in  on  those  lads.  They'll  be  at  work 
now — " 

"  Indeed,  yes,"  said  the  school-master,  rising.  "And  yet  I've 
not  said  a  word  to  you,  Mrs.  Maclean,  nor  to  you,  Jessie,  about 


FAREWELL  !  429 

the  gratitude  I  owe  you  for  all  you've  clone  for  me.  I'm  just 
crushed  into  silence — I  cannot  speak — " 

"And  the  least  said  the  better,  Allan,"  returned  the  widow, 
with  the  tears  showing  again.  "  It  would  have  been  a  good 
thing  for  you  if  you  had  never  seen  any  of  us — " 

"  Well,  come  along,"  said  McFadyen,  bristly.  "  I'm  sure 
the  lads  will  be  glad  to  be  remembered."  And  therewith — Jess 
somewhat  lingering  in  the  background — the  councillor  and  Al- 
lan said  good -night  to  their  friends,  and  left  the  little  parlor 
that  used  to  be  so  familiar. 

The  youths  were  all  busy  at  their  tasks  up  there  in  Bat- 
tery Terrace ;  but  when  Allan  appeared  at  the  door — doubtful 
about  entering,  and  ready  to  apologize  for  his  interruption — 
first  one  and  then  another  turned  and  recognized  him,  and  pres- 
ently there  was  a  general  if  timid  rapping  of  knuckles  on  the 
wooden  desks  to  give  him  a  welcome.  Still  uncertain  as  to 
whether  he  should  go  or  leave,  he  could  but  nod  a  greeting  to 
this  or  that  well-known  face ;  and  then,  drawn  by  old  associa- 
tion and  remembrances,  he  made  bold  to  step  forward ;  while 
the  young  man  who  was  his  substitute  rose  from  his  chair  and 
came  along  to  meet  him. 

"  No,  no,"  said  Allan.  "  I  must  not  hinder  you.  Go  on  ; 
and  I  will  sit  down  here  for  a  minute  or  two."  And  he  took  a 
seat  at  the  end  of  the  nearest  bench,  as  it  chanced  by  the  side 
of  one  of  the  youngest  of  the  students,  who  had  been  a  special 
favorite  of  his. 

The  master  in  charge  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  He  an- 
nounced that  he  would  send  round,  written  on  a  piece  of  paper, 
a  literal  translation  of  a  couple  of  verses  from  Ovid ;  and  the 
students  could  then  occupy  themselves  in  turning  the  English 
back  into  Latin.  Nor  did  he  leave  them  without  a  little  friendly 
guidance  here  and  there,  when  he  had  read  out  the  English 
lines;  he  suggested  one  or  two  of  the  equivalents;  remind- 
ed them  of  the  difference  between  "  capillus,"  "  coma,"  and 
"crinis,"  and  so  forth;  and  then,  when  he  had  set  them  all 
going,  he  returned  to  Allan  and  to  Mr.  McFadyen,  free  to  talk 
about  the  business  of  the  school  or  anything  else  they  pleased. 

It  was  to  the  councillor  he  had  to  address  himself;  for  Allan 
was  much  too  interested  in  the  efforts  of  the  diligent  youth 
who  was  seated  next  him.     It  was  quite  mechanical  work,  of 


430  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

course,  this  dovetailing  of  longs  and  shorts  to  secure  the  nec- 
essary six  feet  and  five;  but  nevertheless  it  demanded  some  lit- 
tle ingenuity  ;  and  as  the  lad  had  quickly  jotted  down  two  or 
three  alternatives  of  the  principal  nouns,  Allan  (who  was  not 
acquainted  with  the  original)  could  at  least  indicate  with  his 
forefinger  what  might  be  tried  next  as  a  solution  of  the  puzzle. 
Well,  as  it  subsequently  turned  out,  those  two  together  did  not 
quite  arrive  at  the  elegance  of  Ovid ;  but  they  were  not  so  very 
far  away  from  it ;  and  the  master  eventually  proclaimed — 
amidst  general  giggling — that  Mr.  Henderson  and  his  com- 
panion might  be  said  to  have  produced  a  very  creditable 
version. 

"  Ah,  I'd  like  fine  to  be  back  among  those  boys  again," 
said  Allan,  as  he  and  the  councillor  were  strolling  home- 
ward together,  for  a  final  pipe  and  a  chat  before  getting 
to  bed. 

"All  in  good  time — all  in  good  time,  Allan,  lad,"  responded 
Mr.  McFadyen,  cheerfully.  "  And  in  the  meanwhile  I'm  glad 
to  hear  that  the  numbers  are  not  dropping  off — no,  no — rather 
the  reverse." 

Next  day  Allan  was  to  leave  by  the  12:40  train;  and  as  he 
was  to  be  away  for  so  long,  Mrs.  Maclean  herself  came  to  the 
platform,  accompanied  by  Jess.  Mr.  McFadyen  was  also  here; 
likewise,  of  course,  the  station-master;  and  one  or  two  others. 
Long  Lauchie  did  not  put  in  an  appearance,  for  he  would  have 
had  to  pass  the  refreshment-room  twice,  and  he  was  avoiding 
such  places. 

"  And  we'll  not  be  seeing  you  now,  Allan,  till  the  middle  of 
next  summer,"  said  the  little  widow;  "  and  who  can  tell  what 
may  happen  through  all  the  long,  long  winter?" 

"  Why,  the  best — we  must  just  hope  for  the  best!"  said  the 
councillor,  gallantly.  "And  whether  it's  to  be  eight  months, 
or  whether  it's  to  be  ten  months,  Allan  knows  first-rate  where 
there's  a  welcome  always  waiting  for  him." 

The  guard  came  up,  and  a  move  was  made  for  the  carriages. 
There  was  much  hand-shaking  and  bidding  of  good-bye  ;  and 
even  Jess,  who  had  rather  'hung  back,  had  now  to  advance,  to 
take  farewell — which  she  did  silently. 

"  And  you  will  write  to  us  often  and  often,"  this  was  the 
widow's  last  word,  as  the  train   began  to  move,  "  and  Jessie 


FAREWELL  !  431 

will  write  back  to  you,  and  tell  you  all  that  is  going  on  —  will 
you  not  now,  Jessie  ?" 

But  Jess  did  not  seem  to  hear ;  and  presently  the  line  of  car- 
riages had  crept  away  from  the  platform,  and  was  bending  round 
the  curve  that  in  a  moment  or  two  would  completely  bide  it 
from  sight. 


CHAPTER  LI 


AT    EACH    REMOVE 


It  was  during  this  winter  that  the  widow  began  to  give  her- 
self airs.  On  some  former  occasions  the  purser  had  been 
rather  inclined  to  impose  on  this  little  circle — or,  at  least,  to 
impress  it — with  his  talk  of  travel ;  but  now  that  Allan's  bud- 
gets of  news  kept  arriving  every  other  week  or  so,  the  purser's 
foreign  experiences  shrank  into  insignificance;  and  Mrs.  Mac- 
lean was  proud  to  know  that  it  was  one  of  her  own  kith  and 
kin — one  of  her  own  family  almost — who  had  these  wonderful 
tales  to  tell.  At  first  Jessie,  to  whom  the  letters  were  ad- 
dressed, allowed  her  mother  free  access  to  them  ;  and  the 
widow  would  read  and  reread  them,'  asking  questions,  and 
discreetly  getting  to  understand,  before  communicating  with 
her  neighbors. 

"  Dear  me,  Jess,"  she  would  say,  for  example,  "  what's  this 
he  writes  about  the  Americans?  —  about  the  Americans  contin- 
ually boasting  of  their  manifest  density?  It's  not  possible! 
Poor  things,  they  cannot  be  so  stupid  as  all  that !" 

"  It's  their  manifest  destiny,  mother,"  Jess  would  make 
answer,  with  a  touch  of  impatience.  "  The  Americans  stupid? 
Don't  you  see  what  he  says  further  on? — that  there's  but  the 
one  thing  left  for  them  to  invent — and  they'll  be  having  it 
before  long — and  that's  a  mechanical  maid-servant.  He  says 
that  when  the  American  man  gets  to  realize  the  misery  that 
tin;  American  woman  endures  through  the  difficulties  of  do- 
mestic service,  he  is  bound  to  come  to  her  aid  with  machinery." 

Bat  in  process  of  time  Jess  grew  more  diary  of  showing 
these  letters;  and  at  length  she  kept  them  entirely  to  herself, 
merely  nailing  out  to  ber  mot  her  such  accounts  of  on-goihgs 
and  adventures  as  might  be  expected  to  interest  her.  For 
Allan  hail  Imt,  the  one  true  and  safe  confidante  in  his  former 
home  ;  and  there  were  many  intimate  and  personal  things  lie 


"AT    EACH    REMOVE"  433 

could  write  about  to  Jess  that  Jess  alone  could  comprehend ; 
and  perhaps  some  of  these  things,  seen  from  afar  and  with 
clearer  vision,  were  altering  in  look.  Anyhow,  Jess  no  longer 
showed  the  letters ;  and  perhaps  her  mother  did  not  notice  the 
changed  condition  of  affairs ;  she  was  satisfied  to  hear  that 
Allan  was  in  excellent  spirits,  and  quite  delighted  with  his 
travelling  companion. 

Not  that  the  closing  months  of  the  old  year  were  otherwise 
devoid  of  incident.  Far  from  it.  All  kinds  of  things  were 
happening.  The  station-master  won  the  great  golfing  handi- 
cap, carrying  off  the  silver-plated  claret-jug  which  now  adorns 
his  sideboard.  Niall  Gorach  and  three  other  lads  were  indicted 
for  trespassing  on  the  grounds  of  Aultnashellach,  in  pursuit  of 
rabbits ;  but  the  charge  was  found  not  proven,  though  the 
sheriff  significantly  refused  to  allow  their  expenses.  The 
shoemaker  had  found  a  new  doctrine  and  principle  of  human 
life,  which  he  preached  to  all  and  sundry  ;  and  which,  inter- 
preted from  the  Gaelic,  and  reduced  to  a  more  compact  for- 
mula, was  to  the  effect  that  "  tea  and  religion  were  the  two 
supreme  comforts  of  existence  ;  but  that  a  wise  man  would 
avoid  immoderate  indulgence  in  either."  The  councillor  had 
been  prevailed  upon  to  receive,  for  a  time,  a  nephew  of  his  who 
had  fallen  ill  in  Glasgow — Mrs.  Maclean  observed  that  the  doc- 
tors had  hinted  something  about  "  angelina  pectoris" — and  so 
completely  did  the  sea-air,  restore  the  young  man  to  his  ordi- 
nary health,  and  so  frankly  did  he  show  himself  interested  in 
his  uncle's  business,  that  Mr.  McFadyen  had  serious  thoughts 
of  taking  him  in  as  a  junior  partner,  to  the  securing,  later  on, 
of  some  portion  of  leisure  for  himself.  Then,  one  morning, 
the  steamer  Islesman,  from  the  Outer  Hebrides,  hove  in  sight 
with  all  her  flags  flying;  and  as  she  came  sailing  into  the  en- 
trance of  the  bay,  she  fired  off  her  signal-cannon  with  a  report 
that  sent  the  jackdaws  about  the  ivied  ruin  squawking  and 
yawping  into  the  breezy  and  silver  skies.  The  reason  soon 
became  known.  Jack  Ogilvie,  formerly  purser  of  the  Aros 
Castle,  was  on  board  ;  and  he  was  bringing  with  him  his  blush- 
ing bride,  who  hitherto  had  been  the  widow  McAlister,  pro- 
prietress of  the  Anchor  Hotel,  Portree.  There  were  many 
people  in  Duntroone  ready  and  glad  to  greet  the  newly-mar- 
ried couple ;  but  all  the  same,  Jack  Ogilvie  found  time  to  call 
19 


434  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

upon  the  Macleans;  and  his  wife — a  buxom,  pleasant-featured 
young  woman  of  thirty,  with  coal-black  hair  and  cheeks  of  the 
color  of  red  pickled  cabbage  (for  the  wind  was  gusty  and  cold) 
— received  a  most  friendly  welcome  from  Jess  and  her  mother. 
They  were  going  south  on  their  wedding-jaunt — perhaps  even 
as  far  as  London  ;  but  it  was  intimated  that  on  their  return 
the  fortunate  bridegroom  was  to  take  up  his  position  as  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  Anchor  Hotel,  which  is  a  famous  and 
flourishing  hostlery  in  those  distant  parts. 

By-and-by  came  the  New  Year;  and  with  it  there  arrived 
a  capacious  chest  that  had  been  sent  all  the  way  from  Yoko- 
hama. When  the  widow,  with  the  eager  curiosity  of  a  child, 
began  to  undo  the  unfamiliar  and  convoluted  packing-material, 
her  delight  soon  gave  way  to  amazement. 

"  Preserve  us  !"  she  cried.  "  Where  could  Allan  get  the 
money  to  waste  on  all  this  extravagance  —  I  never  saw  the 
like—" 

"  Mother,"  said  Jess,  "  did  I  not  tell  you  ?  Most  of  the 
things  are  from  Mr.  Caird." 

"  But  how  could  Mr.  Caird  be  hearing  anything  about  me  or 
you  ?"  continued  the  widow,  as  with  cautious  fingers  she  un- 
wound the  bandages  from  an  extremely  pretty  tea-set.  "  How 
was  he  to  know  anything  about  us?" 

Jess  looked  a  little  embarrassed. 

"  Well,"  said  she,  "  Allan  was  sending  me  a  kind  of  expla- 
nation, that  during  many  a  long  hour  of  travel  he  used  to  talk 
about  the  people  at  home;  and  Mr.  Caird  got  it  into  his  head 
that  he  had  become  quite  acquainted  with  us;  and  he  is  a 
whimsical  and  obstinate  young  gentleman — so  Allan  says;  and 
when  there  was  some  mention  made  of  the  possibility  of  send- 
ing a  New-year's  Day  present,  he  would  insist  on  taking  part. 
And  Mr.  Caird  wrote  a  letter,  too — " 

"  Aye? — and  why  did  ye  not  show  it  to  me?    Where  is  it?" 

Jess  pretended  to  be  busy  with  the  cups;  and  her  mother 
did  not  notice  the  slight  color  that  had  mounted  to  the  girl's 
forehead. 

"  Mr.  Curd's  letter,  do  yon  mean,  mother  f  she  said.  "It 
is  over  at  the  house.  But  it  is  only  a  sort  of  friendly  apology 
for  sending  you  these  things  ;  and  he  writes  in  a  very  nice  and 
good-natured  way.     He  says  he  is  greatly  obliged  to  you  ;  for 


"at  each  remove"  435 

it  is  of  such  importance  tbat  one's  travelling-companion  should 
be  contented  in  mind ;  and  Allan  was  satisfied  and  at  rest  be- 
cause you  were  looking  after  all  his  affairs  for  him  in  his  ab- 
sence— " 

But  here  the  mother  did  grow  suspicious. 

"  Jess,"  said  she,  abruptly,  "  go  at  once  and  get  me  tbat 
letter." 

"  But  maybe  I  burned  it,  mother,"  she  answered. 

"  Then  are  you  telling  me  lies  about  what  was  in  it !" 

"  Why  should  I  ?"  said  Jess — but  with  averted  face. 

"Because  if  the  young  man  knows  anything  at  all  about  it," 
said  the  widow,  boldly,  "  he  must  know  very  well  that  it  is 
you,  and  not  me,  that  has  been  looking  after  Allan's  affairs. 
Very  well  he  must  know  that,  and  very  well  Allan  knows  it ; 
and  the  two  of  them  together,  when  they  were  buying  these 
presents  to  be  sent  across  the  sea,  who  was  it  they  were  think- 
ing of  ?  It  was  you,  Jessie,  and  no  one  else — that  is  as  clear 
as  the  daylight ;  and  you  need  not  stand  there  to  deny  it. 
Would  they  be  sending  these  fine  pieces  of  silk  and  sewing  to 
one  at  my  years  ?" 

"  Mother,  you  are  entirely  mistaken,"  said  Jess,  quite  as 
bluntly.  "  Did  you  not  look  at  the  label  ?  I  think  that  is  the 
best  proof  of  all !  They  have  been  sent  to  you,  and  they  are 
yours;  I  am  not  wishing  for  any  of  them;  and  by-and-by 
we  will  see  what  can  be  made  of  them  for  you.  Tbat  will  be 
your  best  way  of  thanking  Allan,  when  he  comes  back  to  his 
own  country." 

But  there  was  many  a  long  day  and  many  a  long  month  to 
be  got  through  before  there  was  any  prospect  of  that  wistfully 
looked-for  return  ;  though  as  time  went  on  those  many-paged 
communications  that  Jess  so  carefully  treasured  up  and  con- 
cealed began  to  arrive  from  ever-lessening  distances.  And  at 
last  there  came  an  afternoon  ;  and  the  councillor  insisted  and 
better  insisted  that  Miss  Jessie  should  go  along  with  him  to 
the  station  ;  and  those  two,  when  the  train  slowed  in  and 
stopped,  beheld  a  stranger  step  out  from  one  of  the  compart- 
ments— a  bronzed  and  bearded  man,  whose  dark  eyes,  aflame 
with  delight,  seemed  to  say  he  was  not  so  much  of  a  stranger, 
after  all ;  and  Jess,  involuntarily  shrinking  back,  would  have 
the  councillor  go  forward  to  receive  him ;  and  this  McFadyen, 


436  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

when  he  had  recovered  his  senses,  instantly  proceeded  to  do. 
Bat  the  next  moment  Jess  found  both  her  hands  caught  and  held. 

"  I've  seen  many  a  place  since  I  left  you  last,  Jessie,1'  Allan 
said,  "  but  never  one-half  as  welcome  as  the  first  glimpse  of 
Duntroone  Bay." 

"  But  where's  your  luggage,  man  ? — where  the  mischief  is 
your  luggage?"  cried  the  councillor,  determined  on  asserting 
his  importance. 

Then  the  school-master  had  to  turn  to  explain,  rather  ner- 
vously, that  he  had  not  brought  any  luggage  with  him.  He 
had  come  straight  away  through  as  quickly  as  ever  he  could. 
His  immediate  plans  were  not  fixed  yet.  And  so,  with  many 
questions  and  answers,  the  three  of  them  set  out  for  Campbell 
Street,  Jess  alone  keeping  somewhat  silent. 

The  widow  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  change  in  Allan's 
appearance  ;  she  declared  that  his  beard,  his  robuster  frame, 
his  firmer  carriage,  lent  him  an  air  of  authority  that  was  neces- 
sary for  a  school-master;  she  was  proud  to  hear  that  he  had 
nearly  finished  his  translation  of  the  unpronounceable  poem, 
and  that  already  he  had  secured  a  publisher;  and  she  had  no 
sufficient  words  of  praise  for  young  Mr.  Caird,  who  had  un- 
dertaken to  befriend  Allan  Henderson  in  more  ways  than  one. 

"  And  maybe,  Allan,  lad,"  she  continued,  blithely,  "  maybe 
Jessie  was  right,  after  all,  when  she  was  telling  us  of  the  great 
things  in  store  for  you,  and  when  she  was  urging  you  to  do 
this  and  do  that.  Maybe  it  will  becoming  true.  That  was  a 
line  saying  they  used  to  have  :  '  The  day  is  lonyer  than  the 
brae  :  we  ivill  win  to  the  top  yet.''  And  surely  you've  had 
enough  of  wandering  now ;  when  are  you  going  to  settle  down 
among  your  own  folk  ?" 

The  question  seemed  to  disconcert  him,  and  he  evaded  it 
somehow ;  for  indeed,  despite  his  obvious  happiness  in  being 
once  more  in  the  midst  of  these  old  friends,  from  time  to  time 
a  look  of  uncertainty  and  care  would  cross  his  face,  as  if  all 
were  not  well.  However,  at  this  moment  the  girl  Christina 
appeared  to  take  charge  of  the  shop;  and  the  widow,  rising, 
forthwith  invited  her  guests  to  step  across  to  the  house,  where 
sapper  bad  been  left  in  readiness  for  them.  She  herself  led 
tin:  way,  and  the  councillor  was  talking  to  her ;  Jess  and  Allan 
followed  -with  little  speech  between  them. 


"  AT    EACH    REMOVE  "  437 

But  as  they  were  going  along  the  twilit  entrance  leading 
to  the  staircase,  Allan  put  his  hand  gently  on  her  arm,  and  in 
obedience  to  this  mute  prayer  she  lingered  behind  for  a  mo- 
ment, while  the  others  passed  out  of  sight. 

"  I  got  your  letter  in  Glasgow,  Jessie,"  said  he,  in  an  under- 
tone.    "  And  is  that  the  last  word  you  have  for  me  ?" 

"  Are  we  not  better  as  we  are  ?"  she  made  answer,  with  her 
eyes  downcast.  "Did  you  not  hear  what  mother  was  say- 
ing a  minute  ago  of  the  future  that  seems  lying  before 
you  ?— " 

"  I  know  nothing  about  that,"  he  replied.  "  And  whatever 
it  might  be,  I  should  have  no  interest  in  it,  I  should  have  no 
care  in  it,  unless  you  were  with  me.  Jessie,  do  you  think  I 
cannot  recognize  how  stupid  and  blind  I  have  been?  I  never 
knew  what  you  were  —  well,  I  knew  you  were  always  and  al- 
ways my  best  and  dearest  friend  and  ally  —  but  I  never  knew 
what  you  really  were  until  one  after  the  other  those  long  letters 
came  ;  and  then  you  spoke  so  freely  and  so  kindly  ;  it  was  like 
yourself  talking,  with  nobody  by ;  and  many's  the  night  I  lay 
awake  reading  and  rereading,  page  after  page,  and  trying  to 
think  I  could  hear  the  tides  off  Lismore,  and  smell  the  scent 
of  the  wind  blowing  down  from  the  hills.  And  then  when  I 
ventured  in  writing  back  to  you  to  say  one  or  two  things — 
wondering  whether  our  close  and  sure  friendship  might  not 
blossom  into  something  finer  and  nearer — and  when  I  found 
that  you  were  not  so  very  angry  —  I  began  to  dream  wild 
dreams.  I  suppose  I  was  mistaken.  I  suppose  you  thought, 
with  such  a  distance  between  us,  that  it  was  hardly  necessary 
to  be  strict  and  cautious  of  speech.  But  now — if  this  is  to  be 
your  last  word — this  that  I  got  at  Glasgow — " 

"  Allan,"  she  said,  piteously,  "  surely  we  are  better  off  as  we 
are—" 

"  Oh,  I  know  there  are  plenty  of  reasons  why  you  should 
not  throw  yourself  away  on  one  such  as  I !"  he  exclaimed.  "Do 
you  think  I  do  not  know  ?  Plenty  of  reasons  —  do  you  think 
I  have  not  pondered  over  them,  night  after  night  ?  And  I  sup- 
pose it  was  a  sort  of  madness  of  impertinence  that  got  hold  of 
me,  to  think  that  any  such  possibility  could  come  into  my  life. 
But  I  do  not  wish  to  vex  you,  Jessie,  or  harass  you ;  I  can  go 
— and  this  time  for  good." 


438  HIGHLAND    COUSINS 

"  But  why  not  let  us  be  as  we  are,  Allan  ?"  she  said  again — 
and  not  even  yet  did  she  dare  to  raise  her  eyes. 

When  he  spoke,  it  was  in  a  grave  hind  of  way. 

"  That  is  my  decree  of  banishment,  then,"  he  said,  slowly  ; 
"  and  Duntroone  will  see  me  no  more." 

Nothing  short  of  consternation  prevailed  at  the  little  supper- 
table  when  it  became  known  that  the  school-master  was  leaving 
the  very  next  morning;  and  the  councillor,  anxious  to  hide  his 
ignorance  and  bewilderment,  could  only  seek  refuge  in  the  re- 
mark that  if  Allan  went  by  the  8:20  train  he  might  have  to 
change  at  Stirling  to  get  on  to  Glasgow.  For  there  were  no 
explanations  offered,  and  none  could  well  be  asked ;  and  if 
there  was  some  vague  mention  of  Allan's  further  movements, 
it  was  half- intimated  and  half- understood  that  these  were  in 
some  way  connected  with  young  Caird  and  certain  schemes  of 
his.  In  truth,  the  situation  was  altogether  too  embarrassing ; 
this  reunion,  that  promised  so  much,  was  found  to  be  full  of 
perplexity  and  chagrin;  and  at  the  earliest  moment  the  two 
visitors  withdrew  —  not  a  word  having  been  said  to  solve  the 
mystery. 

And  perhaps  that  was  a  long  night  for  Jess  —  a  long  and 
wakeful  night  of  thinking  and  tears;  at  all  events,  when  she 
got  up  the  next  morning,  she  was  in  a  languid  and  listless  state; 
and  more  than  once  she  looked  at  her  little  silver  watch  that 
lay  on  the  table.  And  then,  as  if  moved  by  some  sudden  im- 
pulse, she  began  to  dress  quickly;  and  again  she  would  look  at 
the  watch  ;  and  again  she  would  go  to  the  mirror,  to  see  if 
those  clear  and  gentle  gray  eyes  bore  less  trace  of  the  slow,  im- 
measurable hours  of  pain.  Finally,  at  a  few  minutes  after 
eight,  she  issued  forth  from  the  house.  It  was  a  beautiful 
morning  —  the  world  all  brisk  and  busy  —  the  sunlight  lying 
soft  and  golden  on  the  slopes  of  Kerrara  —  the  sea  blue  and 
shining  far  out  towards  Lismore.  She  hurried  along  by  the 
harbor- front ;  her  eyes  were  alert,  but  no  one  else  she  knew 
was  visible;  at  leDgth  her  glance'  happened  to  fall  on  the  clock 
above  the  railway  station.  And  then  her  heart  seemed  to  stand 
still  with  sickness  and  fright.  She  pulled  out  her  watch — it 
had  played  her  false;   at  this  very  instant  the  train   must  be 


"at  each  remove"  439 

starting.  She  could  not  hasten  her  pace  ;  a  kind  of  paralysis 
of  despair  had  come  over  her;  and  yet  she  struggled  on,  and 
eventually  entered  the  station,  only  to  be  confronted  by  the 
wide  and  empty  platform.  She  stood  irresolute  for  a  moment; 
then  she  hid  her  face  with  her  hands  ;  and  crying  and  sobbing 
helplessly,  she  would  have  sought  some  concealment  by  the  side 
of  the  book-stall  but  that  the  station-master  chanced  to  have 
perceived  her.     He  immediately  came  up. 

"  Bless  me,  Miss  Jessie,  what  is  the  matter !"  he  exclaimed  ; 
for  that  Jess — the  light-hearted,  the  laughing-eyed,  the  merry- 
tongued  Jess  —  should  be  so  completely  broken  down  was  a 
strange  thing  to  him.  And  rose-red  indeed  was  she  before  she 
would  give  him  the  remotest  hint  of  an  explanation. 

"  Well,  I'm  sure  I  am  sorry  for  such  an  unfortunate  mistake," 
said  Mr.  Gilmour.  "  I  was  wondering  that  none  of  you  were 
along  to  say  good-bye  to  Allan — none  but  Mr.  McFadyen,  and 
he  was  going  on  as  far  as  Taynuilt.  But  if  you  would  like  to 
send  a  message,  I  could  telegraph  it  through  to  Dalmally,  and 
the  guard  would  find  him — " 

"Oh,  could  you  send  a  message  to  Allan,  Mr.  Gilmour?" 
Jess  cried. 

"  Yes,  indeed—" 

"  And  ask  him  to  come  back  ! — ask  him  to  come  back  by 
the  next  train  ! — " 

Oh  yes,  I  can  do  that,"  said  Mr.  Gilmour,  in  kindly  fash- 
ion. "But  the  message  —  it  would  have  to  be  in  your  name, 
Miss  Jessie — or  he  would  not  understand." 

Jess,  uncertain,  distracted,  confused — and  with  the  conscious 
color  burning  more  clearly  than  ever  in  her  face — hesitated, 
and  yet  only  for  a  second. 

"  If  you  think  that  will  be  better  —  if  you  think  he  will  un- 
derstand, Mr.  Gilmour,"  said  she,  shyly  —  and  thereupon  the' 
good-natured  station-master  (perhaps  with  his  own  little  guesses 
concerning  this  crisis)  hurried  away  to  the  telegraph-office. 


CHAPTER  LII 

A   SAIL 

One  morning,  some  two  or  three  weeks  after  these  transac- 
tions, the  steamer  Grenadier  was  about  to  set  out  on  its  usual 
round  of  the  western  islands,  when  Mrs.  Maclean,  Jess,  Allan 
Henderson,  and  the  councillor  came  together  along  the  quay, 
stepped  in  by  the  gangway,  and  took  their  places  in  a  modest 
corner  of  the  upper  deck.  This  was  a  little  entertainment  that 
had  been  planned  by  the  widow,  probably  as  a  mark  of  satis- 
faction over  her  daughter's  betrothal  ;  it  also  coincided  with 
the  coming  to  an  end  of  the  school-master's  long  period  of  idle- 
ness ;  for  in  these  few  weeks  he  had  made  his  final  arrange- 
ments for  resuming  work. 

They  had  waited  for  a  fine  day  and  they  had  got  it — too 
fine,  perchance,  for  there  was  promise  of  a  blaze  of  heat  as  soon 
as  the  sun  had  dispersed  the  thin  network  of  white  cloud  that 
stretched  all  across  the  heavens.  At  present  this  was  a  dream- 
like world  they  were  about  to  enter,  with  hardly  any  definite 
color  in  it;  the  sea,  instead  of  showing  its  wind-driven  north- 
ern blue,  lay  in  long  swathes  of  opalescent  calm  ;  the  hills,  be- 
hind a  tremulous  veil  of  haze,  were  unsubstantial  and  feature- 
less and  remote.  Nevertheless,  Duntroone,  with  its  spacious 
bay,  its  ivied  castle  at  the  point,  its  semicircle  of  houses  and 
terraced  gardens,  and  its  background  of  wooded  hills,  looked 
(juite  cheerful  at  this  early  hour.  And  soon,  when  the  last 
passenger  had  been  received  on  board,  and  when  the  hawsers 
had  been  cast  off,  the  steamer  slowly  left  the  pier;  and  by-and- 
by,  as  those  familiar  aspects  of  the  sliore  were  gradually  reced- 
ing, the  voyagers  found  themselves  approaching  that  other  and 

Bilent  and   mysterious  phantom  universe  that  seei 1  as  yet 

hardly  t<>  have  awakened  out  <>f  the  sleep  of  the  night. 

Now  it  was  the  widow  who  had  suggested  and  even  insisted 
on  this  little  frolic  ;   but  it  was  the  councillor  who  must  needs 


A    SAIL  441 

take  the  management  of  it;  and  not  only  did  he  do  everything 
that  was  necessary  for  his  own  party,  he  was  also  able  to  come 
to  the  assistance  of  more  than  one  group  of  English  strangers, 
who  gladly  welcomed  any  information  about  Craigenure  and 
Loch  Aline  and  the  Manse  Fiunary.  Before  they  had  got 
half-way  up  the  Sound  of  Mull,  Mr.  McFadyen  occupied  quite 
a  prominent  position  ;  he  was  asked  the  name  of  this,  the 
name  of  that ;  and  he  greatly  comforted  two  elderly  maiden 
ladies,  who  had  paid  a  visit  to  Tangier  the  previous  spring,  by 
assuring  them  that  there  was  no  necessity  for  riding  pickaback 
on  going  ashore  at  Staffa.  Jessie's  malicious  gray  eyes  were 
demurely  laughing,  but  she  kept  her  thoughts  to  herself.  Al- 
lan had  fallen  into  an  absent  way  of  regarding  this  or  that 
stranger  with  a  gaze  at  once  profound  and  abstracted;  perhaps 
he  was  trying  to  read  feature-lines.  The  little  widow  was  just 
as  happy  and  content  as  she  could  be ;  she  did  not  care  to 
talk  to  anybody ;  the  mountains,  the  woods  and  corries,  and 
the  increasing  bursts  of  sunlight  went  by  in  a  pleasant  pano- 
ramic fashion  ;  and  more  than  once  she  blithely  murmured  to 
herself,  "  The  day  is  longer  than  the  brae :  we'll  win  to  the  top 
yet."  And  meanwhile  Peter  had  established  himself  as  the 
man  of  position  and  importance  on  this  upper  deck. 

By  the  time  they  were  nearing  Tobermory,  the  sun  had 
effectually  cleared  away  the  fleecy  veil  of  cloud;  and  while 
they  stopped  at  the  quay,  the  heat  pouring  down  into  the  cir- 
cular little  harbor  almost  began  to  equal  that  in  the  immedi- 
ate neighborhood  of  the  scarlet  funnels  ;  but  presently  they 
were  off  and  away  again  ;  and  when  they  had  come  in  sight 
of  the  wider  spaces  —  from  the  mighty  rampart  of  Ardnamur- 
chan  facing  the  Atlantic  out  to  the  long,  low-lying  reefs  of 
Coll  and  Tirec  —  there  was  an  occasional  and  grateful  stir- 
ring of  wind  —  a  stirring  of  wind  that  could  be  watched  as 
it  came  creeping  in  silver  breadths  across  the  still,  shining, 
azure  plain.  And  then,  far  away,  and  one  by  one,  the  strange 
basaltic  islands  came  into  view — Carnaburg,  Fladda,  the  Dutch- 
man, and  their  lonely  brethren  ;  while  nearer  at  hand,  under 
the  lofty  cliffs  of  western  Mull,  lay  the  green-shored  Ulva  and 
the  darker  Gometra  and  the  black  rocks  of  Inch  Kenneth. 
Pale  and  spectral  those  farther  isles  appeared  to  be,  and  only 
half  visible  through  the  quivering  heat;  while  they  kept  chang- 
19* 


442  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

ing  their  forms,  too,  in  an  inexplicable  fashion,  as  the  steamer 
clove  its  way  onward  across  this  basking  sea. 

The  Macleans  and  Allan  did  not  care  to  land  at  Staffa  (the 
councillor,  of  course,  did,  to  impart  further  information  to 
those  artless  folk);  they  remained  on  board  the  steamer;  and 
when  the  captain  had  left  the  bridge,  he  came  along  to  Allan, 
with  whom  he  was  acquainted  ;  and  for  a  little  while  these  two 
paced  up  and  down  the  empty  deck. 

"  And  so  you've  made  your  choice  at  last,  Jessie,"  said  the 
little  widow,  "  and  I  hope  you'll  not  repent." 

"  I  am  not  likely  to  do  that,  mother,"  Jess  replied,  very 
quietly,  as  her  eye  followed  the  school-master's  tall  figure.  "  I 
know  what  the  nature  of  that  man  is.  I  have  seen  him  tried 
as  few  men  have  been  tried  ;  and  I  know  him — better  than  I  do 
myself,  I  believe." 

"Very  well,  then,"  rejoined  the  little  widow,  boldly,  "I  will 
say  this  now :  if  you  are  so  finely  satisfied,  it  would  be  but 
wise-like  of  you  to  keep  a  more  civil  tongue  in  your  head. 
The  poor  lad  ! — doing  everything  to  please  you  ;  and  any  one 
can  see  he  thinks  there's  just  none  in  the  world  like  you;  and 
yet  you  must  go  scoff-scoffing  at  him — " 

"  It's  for  his  good,  mother !"  Jess  cried — with  the  gray  eyes 
beginning  to  laugh  again.  "  Allan  goes  through  his  life  in  a 
kind  of  dream,  and  he  must  be  wakened  up  now  and  again — " 

"  And  I  will  tell  you  this  as  well,  Jessie,"  the  mother  con- 
tinued, with  unusual  warmth,  "  if  you  could  see  the  difference 
in  your  own  appearance  since  all  this  affair  was  settled — for 
happiness  seems  to  agree  with  you,  as  it  does  with  most  people 
when  it  comes  to  them — and  alters  their  looks  too,  and  none 
for  the  worse — I  say  you  would  not  put  such  a  light  value  on 
what  has  happened  to  you,  and  risk  it  with  that  sharp  tongue 
of  yours.  The  poor  lad  ! — lie  has  not  enough  to  say  for  him- 
self. T  think  if  he  would  take  a  stick  to  you,  you  would  be 
all  the  better  for  it." 

"  Mother,"  said  Jess,  "  that  comes  after  marriage.  You  arc 
in  too  great  a  hurry." 

At  this  point  Allan  himself  returned  to  them. 

"The  captain  is  asking  if  you  would  like  to  have  the  gig  and 
a  couple  of  the  hands  to  row  you  into  the  cave." 

"Me?"  cried  the  widow.     "  Na,  nal     More  than  once  I've 


A    SAIL  443 

been  into  that  cave  with  the  weather  as  smooth  and  as  fine  as 
this,  and  all  the  same  the  ground-swell  was  coming  thundering 
in  as  if  it  would  rive  the  very  island  in  pieces.  Na,  na,  Allan, 
lad,  I  am  well  content  where  I  am." 

"Jessie,"  said  he,  next,  "would  you  like  to  try  steering  a 
steamer  ?" 

"  Oh  yes,  indeed  !"  she  answered,  eagerly,  jumping  to  her 
feet. 

"Come  along  to  the  wheel,  then." 

And  so  Jess  proceeded  to  try  the  strength  of  her  arms  on 
those  stiff-revolving  mahogany  spokes,  watching  the  stem  of  the 
great  vessel  slowly  incline  this  way  or  the  other — while  far 
in  the  distance  the  people  who  had  landed  could  be  seen  like 
small  black  ants  making  their  way  along  the  broken  basaltic 
columns. 

They  did,  however,  land  at  Iona  ;  for  the  Macleans  had  some 
friends  on  the  island  ;  and  with  them  they  spent  the  interval  of 
waiting.  Then  they  re-embarked  and  continued  their  voyage ; 
and  now  the  wandering  breaths  of  wind  had  steadied  into  a 
light  breeze  from  the  south,  so  that  the  sea  was  a  deep  sapphire 
as  they  passed  between  the  red  rocks  lying  off  the  Ross  of  Mull. 
All  the  southern  ocean  indeed  was  of  the  same  vivid  and  trou- 
bled hue  ;  and  when  at  last  they  came  in  sight  of  Colonsay  the 
distant  line  of  land  was  a  mere  film  of  neutral  tint  beyond  the 
solid  and  darkened  mass  of  water.  "Colonsay,  ah,  Colonsay  !" 
— the  piteous  cry  of  the  dying  student  came  back  to  Allan's 
mind.    And  then  again — "  If  only  MacNiel  had  known  Jess  !" 

But  when  they  had  got  over  towards  Kerrara  they  entered 
once  more  upon  a  region  of  calms  ;  and  as  they  were  steaming 
homewards  through  the  Sound  the  water  around  them  was  like 
glass.  Thus  it  was  that  they  rapidly  overtook  a  large  schooner 
yacht  that  had  been  visible  for  some  time,  waiting  helpless  for 
any  favoring  puff  of  air.  Very  pretty  she  looked,  with  her 
tall  spars,  her  breadth  of  cream-white  canvas,  and  her  booms 
lying  out;  and  naturally  she  was  an  object  of  interest  to  those 
on  board  the  steamer.  Besides  the  red-capped  crew  there  ap- 
peared to  be  only  two  people  on  deck,  a  young  man  who,  as 
the  Grenadier  approached,  kept  his  binocular  glass  almost  con- 
stantly to  his  eyes,  and  a  young  lady,  dressed  in  a  smart  yacht- 
ing costume,  who   now  and  again  addressed  a  word  to  him. 


444  HIGHLAND     COUSINS 

Then,  as  the  steamer  came  up,  he  was  seen  to  hand  the  binoc- 
ular to  his  companion,  while  he  himself  took  out  his  handker- 
chief and  waved  it  to  some  one  on  board  the  passing  vessel. 

"Jess,"  said  Allan,  quickly  and  in  considerable  surprise, 
"  that's  Mr.  Caird !    He  did  not  say  he  was  to  be  here  so  soon — " 

And  that  other — the  young  lady  whose  peaked  cap  of  blue 
cloth  displayed  to  advantage  a  shapely  head  of  light  brown  and 
curly  hair?  Well,  Allan  did  not  recognize  her.  And  yet — 
even  in  this  rapid  second  or  two  of  furtive  scrutiny — there 
seemed  to  be  something  familiar? — surely  he  had  seen  some- 
where before  that  slim,  graceful,  not  over-tall  figure?  —  the 
movement  of  her  arm  as  she  lowered  and  handed  back  the 
glasses  had  a  strange  suggestion  in  it —     And  then  he  knew. 

It  was  Pauline. 


THE     END 


WALTER  BESANT'S  WORKS. 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

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